The joy of the announcement made by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi on the e-toll system being permanently scrapped during his State of the Province Address (Sopa) on Monday, has been short-lived as the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) warns that nothing will change until formal action is taken.

Outa says motorists will continue to be billed daily until Gauteng freeways are declared to no longer be tolled roads in the Government Gazette. All eyes will be on the minister of finance today to see if he will announce final closure dates in his budget speech.

“We have heard these comments that the decision has been made and the e-toll scheme is ‘on the verge of being scrapped’ many times over the past few years, and yet nothing has formally changed,” says Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage

“The situation remains exactly as it has been since the finance minister Enoch Godongwana made the announcement in his October Medium Term Budget Policy statement.

“Until the e-toll system is formally turned off, everything that Lesufi and others have stated on this issue remains just words.”

Duvenage highlights that there are still businesses and individuals who continue to pay their e-toll bills because they continue to receive invoices.

“Some businesses are continuing to pay until a final decision to turn off the scheme’s billing system is announced. Until that happens, these businesses remain uncompetitive and subjected to unnecessary expenses.”

He calls on the National Treasury, the minister of transport, Sanral, and the Gauteng provincial government, who are all party to the imminent decision to bring the system to a close.

“For finality to be achieved, Sanral must publish a gazette to amend the initial declarations of the Gauteng freeway network as tolled roads. This shouldn’t take longer than a few days.

“Outa hopes that the minister of finance will announce the final closure dates in his budget [speech] so that motorists can put this saga behind them once and for all.”