Thursday, April 25, 2024
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ActionAid opposed to Government’s intention to hike toll fees by 100 %

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Tollgates have been commissioned at both Manyumbi and Kafulafuta. In the Picture , a Rosa Bus driver paying a toll fee in accordance with the law at Manyumbi Tollgates in Kapiri Mposhi District
Tollgates have been commissioned at both Manyumbi and Kafulafuta. In the Picture , a Rosa Bus driver paying a toll fee in accordance with the law at Manyumbi Tollgates in Kapiri Mposhi District

ACTIONAID PRODS GOVT TO RETHINK DECISION ON TOLL FEES

ActionAid Zambia has learnt with displeasure the intentions by government to raise more revenue by hiking toll fees by a 100 percent.

This proposal is too much and therefore it should be a phased approach over a period of time. The danger with an abrupt rise in toll fees of 100 percent is that with the recent fuel increase, this will trigger another rise in public transport costs. We would like to ask government to rescind its decision on this and come up with better ways of raising revenue.

Already the public transporters have hiked fees and may have no option but to hike fees again as a response to the increase in toll fees.  Increase in transport costs could push cost of production high and may also trigger price increase in essential commodities.

These increases will have a spiral effect on road users and that burden will be passed on to the tax payer and in turn increase levels of poverty.

We are challenging government to come clean on how the toll fees funds are being used. It was reported on radio today that government has raised over K1 billion since 2013 to March 2016, but the public has not been told how this money is being used.

With the alarming resource mis-management cited in the latest Auditor General report and  little action taken by government, it is an injustice and shameful  for a government to be asking for more tax from people through increased user fees while paying a blind eye to mismanagement of public resources raised through taxing mechanism such as toll fees.

ActionAid would like to remind the government that the escalating levels of poverty and inequality in the country need to be addressed as a matter of urgency as opposed to passing the high cost of living to the citizenry who are already suffocated and barely managing to earn a living.

Nalucha Nganga – Ziba
Country Director- ActionAid Zambia

12 COMMENTS

  1. Lungu’s government is just not normal, ati pro poor government when f**kers dont pay a single dim in taxes, water or Zesco and on top of that are busy pocketing public money through mis appropriations and contracts. our country is a laughing stock with rulers from hell.

  2. Uku ku samwa. On one hand we have no money on the other we are creating more ministries. Sacrifice will only born by one class of people.

  3. Yes it is. Rosa is some times called big bus. That one you are seeing is a upnd supporter & mini bus driver at the sometime. He is just giving him ya drink. No need to ask for the receipt because the has 6 receipt books which the big fish gave him. He is doing the right thing for the party in power dununa reverse the economy.

  4. @Country Director Action Aid
    IT appears you people don’t know why you are in those positions, how can you oppose appropriate Toll Fees for road users when on on the other hand you don’t want Government to borrow money to build infrastructure like roads? Please let’s be serious and I encourage Government to use these funds properly to build our delapilated Road network

    • @danger,
      please do not become dangerous i beg.
      on this one, our govt is wrong, awfully wrong.
      why should a caring govt always run to its citizens for “rebates” in form of taxes whenever it mismanages the economy?
      in fact that fuel levy we are still paying through fuel purchases at filling stations was meant for road maintenance around the country and yet we are told the same on these toll gates.
      are we not being double taxed here?
      be serious or else………..

  5. I have never seen a rosa bus carrying a container of that size. Lungu ayamba ukupena because he spent all the money in campaigns and now the govt is broke and now they want to steal from the people

  6. By the time lungu and the PF is finished with you , you are going to be dancing dununa reverse in your sleep.

    Music pleas…..dununa reverse dununa reverseeeeeeeee….

  7. PF had no money of its own, Davis Chama told us the party was broke but come elections its spent US$6 Million for its campign. This doesnt include the money of US$2 Million that was spent by ZAF for the fuel to ferry Musicans, Cardes and other useless idoits.
    Allowances for Minsisters, President team, Police, ZAF, Army, hiring stadium, paying Musicans (K300,000 per rally), this is what has made the Zambian governmet broke. You Zambians and our useless Pot Belly MPS (even the women have Pot Bellies in Parliament) have not brought this taken the PF government to show where it got the money.
    Wait you have not seen anything yet, now FQM is being asked to pay for the Solwezi/Chingola road when money was in the 2015 budget. It has gone missing. By the time its 2017 June, we shall be buying…

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