Finance Minister Says E-Toll Delinking Process Far from Completion

The finance minister has suggested that the E-toll delinking process might not conclude before April 2024, despite recent announcements by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi. On February 19, during his SOPA at Nasrec, Lesufi declared that discussions with all stakeholders had concluded, paving the way for the delinking process. He emphasised that progress on delinking the gantries would be stalled without meeting these conditions.

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The fate of the E-tolls has been a longstanding issue. The Gauteng government affirmed its commitment to scrapping the system. During a joint meeting with the standing committee on finance on February 22, Godongwana highlighted the ongoing negotiations regarding the 70/30 debt settlement arrangement with Gauteng. However, he expressed reservations about the timeline. He said he did not anticipate the gantries to stop operations by the end of March.

He stressed the importance of Gauteng securing funding for maintenance and settling its portion of the debt. Chikunga affirmed the intention to switch off the E-toll gantries. She reiterated the government’s stance, underscoring the need to repurpose the gantries for other uses, such as crime prevention.

Source: E-toll delinking process far from over, alludes finance minister

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Gauteng Government Seeks Loan to Cover R12 Billion for E-Toll Scrapping, Says Lesufi

Picture: Meta / South African Government

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