Finance minister Enoch Godongwana delivers his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on Wednesday and is expected to announce cabinet’s decision on a way forward for e-tolls in Gauteng.
“The compliance rate for e-toll payments is below 20%; Gauteng motorists have clearly already communicated their position to government. However, it’s now time government makes a formal statement on their position on e-tolls and gives the province’s citizens assurances will scrap the system and not pursue any debts owed,” said the AA.“Only a decision to scrap the system will be acceptable to citizens, and it must be done now.
“Citizens are already extremely cash-strapped and simply cannot bail the government out of a situation it was warned would fail. To continue with the system now send a message of a government who doesn’t care about the financial crises of its people, nor that it is doing anything to mitigate against those challenges. Minister Godongwana has a perfect opportunity to indicate this is not the case and to finally scrap this system.