Taxes and related fees have been excluded.
The government has just issued Decree 130/2024 regulating the collection of tolls from vehicles traveling on expressways owned by the State, which are directly managed and operated by the State as the representative owner.
Agreeing with the idea of paying tolls on state-invested expressways, Mr. Dinh Van Thu (Yen Hoa, Cau Giay, Hanoi ) said that he frequently travels for work by private car and is used to paying tolls on expressways.
The Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway, funded by the state budget, has been put into operation.
"When the government collects tolls on expressways built with state budget funds, how will the collected fees be used to maintain and repair that expressway system?" Mr. Thu wondered.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Le Tuan Anh (from Hoang Mai, Hanoi) also expressed concern about toll roads, or the possibility of "double charging." He believes careful consideration is needed to avoid excessively high fees or collection on inappropriate routes.
Explaining this issue, Mr. Dinh Cao Thang, Head of the Finance Department of the Vietnam Road Administration, said that currently the State collects road tolls based on the number of vehicles. Collecting tolls on expressways through toll stations on state-invested expressways may raise concerns and lead some to believe it constitutes "double charging."
According to Mr. Thang, the fee was calculated by the relevant authorities based on excluding all related taxes and fees already collected, including the road usage fee collected per vehicle.
According to Mr. Dinh Cao Thang, all state-invested expressways currently have parallel national highways. Therefore, road users have the right to choose to travel on the existing national highway or pay tolls to use the expressway to enjoy higher quality service and benefits.
Road maintenance fees are paid for the upkeep and maintenance of the road system in general, while toll collection on state-invested expressways will create financial resources to invest in the construction of other expressways and provide funding for the maintenance and upkeep of toll roads.
"The collection of tolls for vehicles traveling on expressways invested in, owned, managed, and operated by the State does not result in double charging," Mr. Thang affirmed.
Transparency and fairness
According to Mr. Dinh Cao Thang, the toll fee for using the expressway is determined on the principle of being commensurate with the quality of service but not exceeding the benefits obtained, and taking into account the value of the service benefits that the expressway brings compared to regular national highways. In particular, careful consideration is given to the affordability of the users.
With the fees stipulated in Decree 130/2024, it is projected that after the implementation of toll collection on currently operating expressways, the expected revenue will be 3,636 billion VND per year. The expected amount to be remitted to the state budget is 3,399 billion VND, after deducting the 6.5% collection fee as stipulated.
The revenue collected, after deducting the costs of organizing the fee collection, will be remitted to the State budget and used to fund the construction, upgrading, renovation, management, operation, and maintenance of road transport infrastructure assets as prescribed.
Regarding toll collection on state-invested highways, Mr. Tran Chung, Chairman of the Association of Transport Infrastructure Investors, affirmed that the biggest cost to consider for highways is the maintenance cost. "We must periodically inspect and assess the condition of the infrastructure, and then conduct major and minor overhauls every 5-10 years to ensure the safety of road users," Mr. Chung said.
"Collecting tolls on state-invested highways is not double charging, but a necessary measure to maintain road maintenance funds and develop the next highway system. The fact that people have the right to choose whether or not to use the highway is clear evidence of the transparency and fairness of this policy," Mr. Chung said.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/thu-phi-cao-toc-nha-nuoc-dau-tu-khong-lo-phi-chong-phi-192241019222201604.htm
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