Highway tolls about to be abolished?

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 May 2018: 

The Council of Eminent Persons is likely to make an announcement on the toll charges as early as next week, says Tan Sri Zeti Aktar Aziz.

Zeti, who is part of the council’s five-member team, said they would engage in another round of meeting with related agencies and shareholders next week on toll restructuring.

However, the former Bank Negara governor said she was not at liberty to disclose any information on the issue today – despite having had a meeting with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Khazanah Nasional Bhd, both of which were shareholders of PLUS, the largest toll concessionaire in the country.

“I don’t know all the numbers and details about it, Tun Daim Zainuddin (former finance minister) will be the one who will make the announcement when a decision or conclusion is reached on this.

“The work is very intense and all of us are very committed to come up with a solution that is in the best interest of Malaysians, everyone is looking forward to things being so much better, and we hope we can make it happen,” she said when met after the meeting today.

Pakatan Harapan which won the recent 14th General Election among others, promised to abolish toll collection in its election manifesto.

Meanwhile, EPF chief executive officer Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan when met after the meeting said a right holistic solution was needed to tackle the issue of tolled highways.

“We have to be mindful that a lot of money was invested through capital markets and there’s a need for some balance in this situation.”

– Bernama

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