Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof speaks to reporters after inspecting FT252 Jalan Gunung Jerai slope repair works in Gurun March 19, 2022. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The toll restructuring exercise executed by the government was not a Pakatan Harapan (PH) policy, as the plan already existed during the Barisan Nasional (BN) era, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said.
In a statement today, Fadillah said that the government began working on the plan in 2002, while PH only formed its government 16 years later, in 2018.
Since then, he said that BN decided that the Works Ministry, together with other relevant government agencies, would negotiate with highway concession companies to restructure toll rates on major highways across the country.
“This is because, when negotiations are carried out with a concession company, it is based on traffic projections and when a highway is completed and operational, then the actual amount of traffic will be obtained and used for restructuring negotiations.
“The strategy of this structuring negotiation was to take into account the following matters: reduce inter-city highway toll rates in stages, the rising cost of living, the concession companies’ commitment (loan), the impact on government liabilities (compensation) and the highway toll rates,” he added.
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