By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Gauteng provincial government says that it will pay R12.9 billion towards the decommissioning of e-tolls in Johannesburg – but will do it over a longer term.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi met with finance minister Enoch Godongwana and road agency Sanral to hash out a plan for ending the system in the province this week.
He said that the province would raise the R12.9 billion needed to settle the province’s portion of the debt through “different revenue streams in the form of a hybrid model”, and that it will be paid over a long-term payment period.
Lesufi did not specify what the “hybrid model” would be, nor did he say how long the term of payment would be. He previously proposed that the money be paid over 20 years.
The “hybrid model” of revenue collection will be set up through consultation with Gauteng residents, the premier, and would also provide for the future funding of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and also see to the maintenance of the systems.
“A long-term repayment period will ensure that we relieve the pressure on the provincial government fiscus, while maintaining the delivery of social services and other imperatives such as fighting crime,” Lesufi said.
“More work still needs to be done jointly by the Gauteng government, national Department of Transport, Sanral and National Treasury to clarify maintenance and the decommissioning of e-tolls,” he said.
The premier has been clear that the e-tolling system will be scrapped in Gauteng, but has not yet delivered timelines for when the system will be fully decommissioned.
Treasury previously warned that until such time a notice is gazetted that says otherwise, the system is still in effect, noting that Sanral has a statutory obligation to collect any toll fees due to them.
Godongwana announced during his mid-term budget speech that the national government would pay off around 70% of the R43 billion in debt tied to the failed system, transferring R23.736 billion. However, it would be left up to Gauteng to determine how to pay for the rest, he said.