The Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources and the Ministry of Economy and Finance have ordered the publication of the rates to be applied to the four new tolls on the Maputo Ring Road, effective January 25, 2022.

The ministerial order, published last Friday (14), in the Boletim da República, First Series - Number 10, "sets toll rates in the plazas of Costa do Sol, Zintava, Cumbeza and Matola Gare, on the Maputo Ring Road," reads the document MZNews had access today.

The document states that the need for collection fees at the above locations is in accordance with "the Concession Agreement under article 5, no. 3 of Decree no. 31/96, of July 16.

O Article 5(3), cited above, deals with toll rates and states that: "the toll rates and their changes will be approved by joint order of the Ministers of Public Works and Housing and of Planning and Finance".

In this sense, under the command of the respective ministers, João Machatine and Adriano Maleiane, in the four tolls motorists should pay the following fees: light cars "class 1" (40 meticais); heavy - single axle trucks - "class 2" (140 meticais); heavy - two axle trucks - "class 3" (380 meticais); and, heavy - four axle trucks - "class 4" (580 meticais).

A note in the document advises that discounts of 75% are applied to the above rates for semi-collective and collective passenger transport, tractors without and with a trailer (trailer/'leash').

Semi-collective passenger transports, which belong to "class 1" vehicles, will pay 10 meticais; collective passenger transports and tractors without trailers, "class 2", will pay 35 meticais, and tractors with trailers, belonging to "class 3", will pay 95 meticais.

Another note states that discounts are also applicable to those who frequently use the Maputo Circular Road. These benefits, limited to class 1 vehicles, in other words, light vehicles, range from 7% to 60%, depending on the number of trips. Thus, it will be possible to pay between 37 and 16 meticais.

Based on the flat or standard rate (40 meticais), cars with the number of trips ranging from 11 to 20 are entitled to 7% discount (37 meticais); for 21 to 30 trips are 13% discount (35 meticais); for 31 to 40 trips are 20% discount (32 meticais); 41 to 50 trips are 33% discount (27 meticais); 51 to 60 trips are 46% discount (22 meticais); and finally, for trips over 60, i.e. 61 trips and up, the vehicle will benefit from 60% discount and pay 16 meticais.

Recall that, this Monday (17), the MZNews reported the unconstitutionality and illegality in the construction of these tolls denounced by Center for Public Integrity (CIP). An article you can read here.

O MZNews published, also on Monday, another article on the same subject. In it The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) suggests that the Government revoke the Maputo Ring Road concession, for not having observed the essential principles of public administration for the installation of tolls.