MBABANE:King Mswati through his Government, is highly expected to collect about R150million per-year from the pockets of emaSwati through the newly implemented Roads Authority Levy that seeks to collects forty-cents(40c) per-litre of fuel from the pockets of emaSwati.
Eswatini consumes about one million(1000000) litres of fuel per-day and this, is according to a recently released Eswatini Regulatory Authority(ESERA) Petroleum Industry Annual Compliance Report.
The 40c per-litre when calculated with 1000000 litres consumption amounts to four hundred thousand Rands(R400,000.00) per-day and R146million per-year.
Lindiwe Mbingo, the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy said, the new levy will be used to maintain roads in the country.
Worth-noting, emaSwati pay Value Added Tax(VAT), Corporate Tax and Pay as You Earn(PAYE) not to mention the Motor Vehicle Accident(MVA) levy and other revenue.
But another levy might soon be introduced by the King’s Government to fund the construction of the R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve.
“The primary objective of this levy is to ensure the sustainable maintenance and improvement of the country’s road infrastructure,thereby enhancing transportation efficiency and safety for all road users,” reads a statement in part, released by the PS on Thursday afternoon.
Government will start collecting the money from emaSwati’s pockets on Friday(4th April 2025) and this, means the costs of fuel will increase in the country.
Eswatini has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, the country is ruled by King Mswati as an absolute Monarch.
King Mswati(pic: Gov).