Tafadzwa Shoko, Staff Reporter
AT least US$2 billion, or 50 percent of the country's US$4 billion 2012 national budget, will be required to upgrade the country's ageing road network, Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, has said.
Large parts of the country's road network have been dilapidated due to lack of rehabilitation and underfunding.
In the past three years, the country had witnessed an increase in the national fleet following an overflow of imported pre-owned vehicles, piling pressure on the road network.
The country has 18?338 kilometres (km) of state roads, 5?290km of urban roads and 54?240km of rural roads, which translates to a total road network of 77?868km.
Most of the roads need major rehabilitation.
During his 2012 budget presentation Biti said government required over US$2 billion for the rehabilitation of the road network.
He however allocated US$41,5 million for road rehabilitation in 2012.
"A large part of the road network in the country is in very poor condition. In urban areas vehicle mobility has become a challenge. Similarly in the rural areas farmers are finding it difficult to access markets for their produce. The overall requirement for roads rehabilitation is in excess of US$2 billion covering primary, secondary and tertiary road networks" Biti said.
The US$41,5 million will be divided amongst various authorities, which are the Department of Roads which will get US$22,5 million, the District Development Fund (DDF), which will receive US$7 million and local authorities, which were allocated US$12million.
Biti said the budget allocation will be supplemented by resources from the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (ZINARA) amounting to US$53 million to be allocated for routine maintenance, which will get US$26 million, periodic maintenance, which will receive US$15 million and toll road maintenance, where US$12 million will be committed.
This will bring total funds allocated for road rehabilitation and maintenance to US$94,5 million in 2012.
In the 2011 national budget government had set aside US$53 million for the procurement of road equipment for all road authorities who include the department of roads, DDF and local authorities to undertake road maintenance works throughout the country.
Until the late 1990s, Zimbabwe's road network was rated among the best in southern Africa.
This is no longer the case.
Major highways, such as the Harare-Beightbridge road, which links Zimbabwe and South Africa, Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Chirundu road, have become dangerous for motorists due to lack of maintenance.
ZINARA, a quasi-government autho-rity established in terms of the Roads Act, which has been tasked with the collection of revenue from toll fees, transit fees, abnormal load and overload fees, fuel levy and vehicle licenses, has been blamed by local authorities for failing to distribute the funds adequately for the maintenance of roads.
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara believes that Zimbabwe, a country saddled with a US$10,3 billion debt can only rehabilitate its infrastructure through Public Private Partnerships. Official figures indicate that up to US$10 billion is required to upgrade the country's road, rail and air infrastructure.
Experts have argued that with no budgetary support from multilateral lenders any hope of upgrading the transport sector could be a pipe dream.
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