E-tolls: Finance Committee agrees to invite Treasury back to finish briefing Parliament

Tim Harris, Shadow Minister of Finance
9 May 2012

The Standing Committee on Finance today agreed to a Democratic Alliance (DA) request that National Treasury should be invited back to Parliament to finish briefing us on the fiscal implications of the halt in the e-tolling project.
 
The e-tolling project has been dogged by a lack of transparency since its inception and it is disappointing that this veil of secrecy has recently been extended over the impact South African National Roads Agency Limited’s (SANRAL) impasse will have on the fiscus
 
Lack of comment from National Treasury, as well as their clumsy attempt to get questions around the delay in e-tolling off the Parliamentary agenda, has magnified the fall-out from the delay in the project.
 
It is encouraging, therefore, that the Finance Minister will be given a chance to set the record straight in Parliament and end speculation around the actual status of SANRAL’s financial obligations.
 
Yesterday in the Finance Committee, National Treasury indicated that SANRAL could meet these obligations for the next six months, but officials were unable to finish answering the questions posed by MPs. Now they will be given their chance to provide clarity on the true cost of this project to the taxpayer.