admin
pilferage, a Cabinet minister has said.
This comes as the Government said it was disappointed with the quality of the tollgates done by the contracted companies.
Transport Communication and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche, said the transition process to have Zimbabwe National Roads Authority taking over the running of the tollgates from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority had begun.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
He was giving oral evidence before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communication chaired by Kwekwe Central MP, Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T) on Monday.
Minister Goche also indicated that Zim Highways, a consortium of local construction companies that won the tender to dualise the Harare-Beitbridge Road more than 10 years ago, had failed to prove that they had the financial muscle to carry out the project.
He said Government had since declined to sign the concession agreement.
The minister said Zim Highways had been courting various financial institutions in South Africa in their bid to sell the project that would see them pocket money and leave the seller to collect revenue in toll fees under the Build, Operate and Transfer model.
Zim Highways approached the Development Bank of South Africa and Nembe Investments but the latter declined to partner the consortium after it failed to show that it had the money for the joint venture, said Minister Goche.
The National Economic Consultative Forum had also made its independent investigations to establish the financial status of Zim Highways.
On tollgates, Minister Goche said the current structures were temporary.
“Some of them have been completed but the quality is not of expected standard. The good thing is that they are removable,” said Minister Goche.
Zinara, said Minister Goche had already started recruiting supervisors who will train staff as part of the transition that would see the road authority taking over the running of toll gates from Zimra.
The committee had noted with concern the involvement of Zimra that would levy a surcharge of 10 percent in handling fees.
Mr Chebundo said it was awkward that it was Zimra that generated and distributed tickets and this he said, left no room for Zinara to check the veracity of money submitted to it.
On dualisation, Minister Goche said during the Zimbabwe dollar era the Government had taken the position that they should complete those projects that they had started with the rest being taken under Public Private Partnership under BOT.
In May 2009 there was a conference of donors who agreed to pool US$1,2 billion for the North South corridor but only US$40 million has to date been made available to the Development Bank of South Africa, which was identified as the financial agent.
The North South corridor included roads leading to Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Due to the strategic centrality of Zimbabwe in the region as a thoroughfare, the North South Corridor, of which the Harare Beitbridge stretch is considered to be of crucial importance.
“But nothing has come to Harare . . . so Minister Biti and myself went to South Africa to discuss with DBSA and it was clear from the discussion that there was reluctance to give Zimbabwe the sovereign debt and Biti was also reluctant to get the sovereign debt because he was saying Zimbabwe had a huge debt,” said Minister Goche.
Government then signed an agreement with DBSA for the Plumtre Mutare highway where Group Five International will be the main contractors but will sub-contract local companies.
The agreement will be between Zinara with 70 percent stake with Group Five International with 30 percent stake.
He said there was no tender done because the financiers were bringing their own money and would choose the lead contractor.
“What we will insist is that in subcontracting they must take local companies where we will then subject them to tender,” he said.
On Zim Highway, Minister Goche said they had approached him wanting to sign the concession agreement of the tender they had won.
“I said I will not sign a concession document until you prove to me that you have the funds or bring your financiers, deep down in my mind I knew that I didn’t want to sign a concession, which they will later sell,” said Minister Goche.
He said it was strange for Zim Highways to claim the whole concession, which they would want to give to Nembe Investments.
Online Reporter