... Board, CEO for Roads Authority to be appointed

MBABANE - Posts for new Board members and another for a chief executive officer (CEO) will be up for grabs following establishment of the Roads Authority.

According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, following that the Road Authority Act was passed by the 11th Parliament and has acquired the royal assent, the next step would be turning the Roads Authority into a full parastatal.

The ministry has said that it was now in the process of appointing a Board consequently a CEO and chief financial officer (CFO) in order to facilitate the recruitment of staff.

It was mentioned that while, that was underway; the ministry was also engaging the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) and the Ministry of Public Service to determine the terminal benefits of the staff within the Roads Department, before the abolishment of the office.

HIGHLIGHTED

It was highlighted that the minister of Public Works and Transport shall indicate the date of effectiveness of the Roads Authority Act before the end of the first quarter of the current financial year.

When justifying the establishment of the entity, government explained that it was meant to be a sustainable and permanent solution to the country’s roads crisis.

The objective, government said, was to tender out all the country’s roads maintenance to the private sector and it was envisaged that it was to be funded by the savings from shutting down government departments currently responsible for road maintenance, the road toll charges at the border crossings, additional funds from the fiscus and an additional 30 cents fuel tax.