Swaziland to raise road user fees to fund infrastructure

JAMES HALL MBABANE – Swaziland’s government plans to balance its budget by raising user fees for road freight and other traffic, Finance Minister Majozi Sithole told FTW recently. “We need to at least cover the cost of providing such services to the public,” Sithole said. At the start of April, the road levy tax went up from R5 to R50 for private cars. A revised levy for trucks will be announced later, and it will vary based on weight, the minister said. “We will also continue pursuing the establishment of the Road Authority, Civil Aviation Authority and Road Testing Centres. These have been identified as having a high potential for generating revenue for government,” Sithole said. A decade-long infrastructure improvement programme that has seen a network of highways make commercial and agricultural sectors more accessible in all parts of the country has also contributed to this year’s projected R746 billion deficit, representing 4,5% of GDP. “As a landlocked country, we need trucks to carry out our exports and bring in raw materials and imported goods. Most of these goods, and the trucks that move them, are from South Africa. It has been a long time since user fees have been raised to help offset the wear and tear on roads caused by the big-rig trucks,” said Sithole. 2005’s most expensive highway projects include a by-pass road skirting Mbabane and a new highway connecting the northern citrus belt with the central industrial area.