ZINARA disburses record ZWG4.7 billion to road authorities
BUSINESS REPORTER
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has disbursed a record ZWG4.7 billion to road authorities in 2024, facilitating the maintenance of 37,000 km of roads nationwide.
In a significant improvement from the previous year, 63 out of 94 road authorities accessed their full allocations—up from just over 20 in 2023.
ZINARA attributed this progress to enhanced revenue collection, improved acquittal processes, and better project management by road authorities. Manicaland and Mashonaland East saw all their road authorities fully utilizing their budgets.
ZINARA chief executive officer Nkosinathi Ncube expressed satisfaction with the 88% utilisation of allocated resources.
“For 2024, road authorities accessed about 90% of their budget allocation, a first in many years. We increased support to local authorities to enable them to utilize their equipment and improve operational efficiencies, including providing 1,942,480 liters of diesel. ZINARA has demonstrated that it is possible to be a transparent and financially stable state entity that contributes positively to national projects,” Ncube said.
Harare utilized 95% of its allocation, Bulawayo 71%, Gweru 55%, and Masvingo 71%.
Looking ahead, ZINARA plans to disburse ZWG11.6 billion for road maintenance in 2025—marking a significant increase from 2024.
Toll fees contributed the largest share of ZINARA’s revenue in 2024, generating ZWG2.8 billion, followed by vehicle licensing fees (ZWG2.3 billion), fuel levies (ZWG727 million), and transit fees (ZWG552 million).
However, ZINARA warned that the heavy rainfall experienced this year has severely compromised road conditions. As a result, a substantial number of roads now require urgent maintenance. The agency remains committed to increasing funding and enhancing budget utilization to address these challenges
