Some 20 articles in the June 24, 2005 decree creating and organising the functioning of the National Road Fund, a statutory organ charged with mobilising, managing and administering financial resources for developing and maintaining quality and safe road infrastructure and road transport services in the country, have been modified to engender efficiency. A Presidential decree signed last Thursday March 29, 2012 brings in some innovations, expected to give a boost to road infrastructure development in the country.
Supervisory Authority
The Road Fund also called “Fund” is financially placed under the Ministry of Finance and technically under the Ministry of Roads (Public Works). This is contrary to the 2005 decree that placed the Fund solely under the Ministry of Finance.
Its Composition, Resources
The Fund will have on one hand a maintenance account which will exclusively ensure the payment of maintenance on priority inter-urban road network, road prevention and safety and the protection of national road heritage. Money for the maintenance account is raised through collections from the use of the road, toll gate dues, budgetary allocation of ministries destined for the exercise, transit tax and penalties on road users. On the other hand, the Fund also has an investment account charged with financing the rehabilitation of roads. Its resources come from subventions, gifts etc.
Its Stakeholders
According to Article seven of the modified law, stakeholders of the Road Fund include the Ministries of Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Finance, Transport, Government Delegates, and Administrator of the Road Fund.
Its Prerequisites
The March 29, 2012 Presidential decree specifies that the Fund has the right to recruit an administrator who assures the collection of the funds which are thereafter deposited at special accounts of the Fund in the Central Bank and public treasury. He is also to ensure that contracting firms that carry out rehabilitation and maintenance works are paid.
Perspectives
All attempts to get the Administrator of the Road Fund, Sameul Donatien Nengue, to state clearly what has changed, what the Fund has done so far and the future with the modification failed. However, his analysis published in a special publication of SOPECAM, “Hors-Serie of January 2012” indicated that government has thus far pumped in not less than FCFA 442 billion for the maintenance of priority roads. Instituting reforms both financial and technical, Mr Nengue noted, are capital in rendering our roads beneficial. As he put it, “the road can bring in more than what it costs.”
