KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — The DAP is questioning the Budget 2010 allocation of RM394 million to compensate toll concessionaires for not raising toll rates, saying the government should renegotiate the contracts or take over the tolled highways.
Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong today noted the government had also paid RM180 million in 2009 and RM380 million in 2008 under the Works Ministry as similar compensation.
“It is crucial for the government to list the recipients of this huge amount of public funds and state why the budgeted amount for 2010 is more than double that for 2009, from RM180 million to RM394 million, though it was RM380 million in 2008,” Liew told reporters in Parliament.
He urged the government to rethink its approach towards toll concessionaires.
“While it is a populist move not to raise toll rates in 2008, the lopsided contracts between the government and the concessionaire mean that one way or the other the public is still paying for such daylight robbery,” he said.
Liew added that DAP had proposed that the government should renegotiate the “lopsided” contracts and privatised the highways.
“DAP has publicly articulated our proposal to privatise the North-South Highway from KLSE. We have estimated that by keeping the toll rate at the current level to finance the takeover, the highway will be a freeway seven years from the takeover day.
“This will end the eternal nightmare of a 10 per cent hike in toll rates once every three years,” he said.
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua also questioned how the government calculated its “one-off” payments when the North-South Expressway’s accounts reveal otherwise.
“From the North-South Highway’s annual audited accounts, the gross toll compensation for 2007 is RM697 million but the gross toll compensation for 2008 is RM731 million; so just PLUS alone they compensated RM731 million so where did this number come from?” he asked.
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