Non-Tariff Barriers

Complaint

Complaint number

NTB-000-493  

NTB Type

8.7. Costly Road user charges /fees  

Complaint

Note: This is not reported by South Africa, but by FESARTA; a sub-regional organization.
The South African National Roads Agency, SANRAL, is planning to introduce new toll fees on its upgraded Gauteng freeways (E-tolls). The proposed fees are in excess of fees agreed at regional level, viz:
In 2007, the SADC-recommended road user charge for South Africa, was US$2.92/100kms, for a heavy goods vehicle. In 2009, this was revised to US$3.46/100kms. These recommended figures were calculated from the road maintenance data submitted to SADC by South Africa in those years.
On its busiest freeway, the N3 from Durban to Gauteng, the 2012 toll fees charged by SANRAL amount to approximately US$13/100kms. This is far in excess of the fees recommended by SADC.
Now, SANRAL is proposing to charge around US$19/100kms for the use of the Gauteng freeways by a heavy goods vehicle.
It is considered that these fees are excessively high and will unnecessarily add to the cost of goods to the consumer in the East and Southern African region.  

Status note

At its 11th meeting of the SADC Sub -Committee on Trade Facilitation held on 23 May 2013 in Gaborone, SCTF noted that the report was based on toll fees that were not yet implemented. As such traders are not affected. It was agreed that matter be filed until such time that the fees are effected  

Progress update note

On 16 April 2013, SADC Secretariat reported that the SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade, at their meeting of November 2012 decided as follows with regard to charges that affect movement of goods in the region, in light of provisions of Article 15 of the Protocol on Trade: (i) the same rates for services rendered to facilitate movement of goods in the region, be charged on local and foreign cargo, i.e. there should be no discrimination between local and foreign goods to ensure consistency with the principle of non-discrimination; (ii) levies charged should only be for services rendered, i.e. in the case scanning on consignments actually scanned; and (iii) levies charged should be limited to cost recovery  

Policy or regulatory NTB

Yes 

Location

South Africa: Gauteng (Other)  

Reporting Country or Region

South Africa  

Country specific trade issue

No  

Date of incident

2012-04-16  

Status

Resolved  

Date of resolution

2013-05-23  

Product Description

All products

Computer-assisted translation

• English
• Arabic
• French
• Portuguese

×

Close window

 

Total value

0  

Date reported

2012-04-16 10:37  

Modified

2013-06-10 17:34