Allexer Namundjembo
Road Fund Administration (RFA) chief executive officer Ali Iipinge says the proposed toll gate system has not yet been approved by government.
He said it will not be implemented until that process is complete.
Iipinge told the Windhoek Observer on Sunday that the toll gate project remains on hold.
“The vehicle tolls initiative is not yet implemented, as it’s subject to approval by the government. Once approved, we will notify the public accordingly,” he said.
The proposal was first introduced in 2021 and aims to install toll gates at between 21 and 23 points across the country’s national road network.
Feasibility studies estimated the project could generate between N$500 million and N$750 million annually to help fund road maintenance and expansion.
RFA said the project became necessary because fuel levy income is declining as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles enter the market.
In 2022, RFA planned to collect up to N$750 million per year through the toll system across about 23 road sections.
The proposal, however, has faced opposition from political parties, transport unions, and taxi associations.
Landless People’s Movement member of parliament Eneas Emvula said on Monday that the party rejected the proposal from the beginning because it would place more pressure on ordinary road users.
“It was during that initial phase of their thinking that we fiercely rejected the RFA’s proposal as not making any economic sense to private road users and such a reform,” he said.
Emvula said the proposal would not contribute to economic growth and suggested that commercial transport operators should carry more of the burden.
“The increase and diversification of levy collection should rather apply to commercial road users, as direct charge fees via NATIS, weight bridges or “exclusive” toll roads,” he said.
He said the proposal has remained on hold for almost three years without clear solutions from the RFA.
“It is now almost three years since they publicly submitted their proposal; received the submission and RFA; and are yet to establish a problematic levy collection method to finance the maintenance of roads and lessen the burden on private road users,” he said.
Emvula also questioned whether heavy commercial traffic is being properly regulated.
“We have come across reports of unmanned weighbridges between Katima and Grootfontein, and truck operators have discovered innovative ways to pass these facilities,” he said.
He added that the Trans-Caprivi Corridor strategy appears not to be meeting expected revenue targets.
“The TransCaprivi Corridor strategy proves to have an incomplete project operation plan, as it doesn’t seem to meet the revenue targets of the RFA, or else we would be having this conversation,” he said.
Emvula further argued that road damage is increasing because of rising traffic volumes and growing vehicle imports.
“Do we charge enough on these imports? Do companies such as BHL of Zambia and others that use our ports remit RFA sufficiently, and when were such levies adjusted to meet the cost of road maintenance? We can’t just push for toll roads and not furnish details regarding their operational challenges and what part of that they meet,” he said.
He said if toll roads are introduced, private motorists should be exempted.
“Car owners are already subjected to paying levies linked to the fuel pump price amidst the regular increases in the cost of life,” Emvula said.
Transport unions, including the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau), as well as taxi and bus associations, have also opposed the plan.
Some operators warned that drivers may avoid toll roads and use alternative routes, which could increase congestion and damage secondary roads.
Economists and transport analysts have also questioned whether the project would be financially viable due to the high cost of building and operating the system.
The RFA has acknowledged public concerns but says Namibia urgently needs sustainable road funding.
“Our current road user charges cover only about 60% of the funding required for road maintenance and expansion in the medium to long term,” Iipinge said.
Public consultations on the proposal were suspended in 2023 due to inflation and wider economic pressure.
The RFA says it is also considering other funding options, including public-private partnerships and adjustments to existing road user fees.
Iipinge said that toll systems already operate in several Southern African Development Community countries, including Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique.
According to the RFA, Namibia now has more than 400 000 registered vehicles, which supports the feasibility of a toll system.
