Delayed
Gauteng misses December 31 e-toll scrapping deadline
Premier’s office says the matter will be finalised in the new year
Image: SIMON MATHEBULA
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) says it's not surprised at another delay in scrapping the Gauteng e-tolls. Over the past few years, the authorities have indicated several dates and deadlines for the scheme to be scrapped and missed them all.
After minister of finance Enoch Godongwana’s announcement on October 26 of a new financing mechanism for the Gauteng freeway upgrade debt to replace the failed e-toll scheme, premier Panyaza Lesufi said e-tolls would be scrapped as soon as an agreement was reached with the National Treasury.
“There is a process that needs to be followed by government so the technical team led by our director-general will assist us. As indicated by National Treasury, we have until December 31 to conclude that task,” he said.
On December 31, Lesufi's office said “due to the need to finalise key components of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the national government and the provincial government the matter will be finalised in the new year”.
The planned deactivation of the scheme by December 31 did not happen. Scrapping the scheme requires formally declaring that Gauteng freeways are no longer toll roads in a gazetted notice by the department of transport. Lesufi says the switch-off will take place 14 days after the gazette's publication.
Until the MOU has been concluded the gazette will not be published and the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) will continue to levy e-tolls.
“The small percentage of road users still paying e-tolls are wasting their money, as the likelihood of getting a refund is slim to zero,” Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said.
“We have also pointed out that those who have refused to pay will not suffer the negative consequences Sanral once threatened to apply. While government continues to dilly-dally over the scheme’s final billing date, we suggest the few who still contribute to this defunct scheme stop doing so now.”
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