53% of roads budget spent as Government advances Roads Authority

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport is spending its way into a new era, with more than half of its capital budget already used and the long-awaited transformation of the Roads Department into a Roads Authority now underway.
The Second Quarter Performance Report for 2026/27, covering July to September 2026, shows the Ministry has spent E904.9 million of its E1.71 billion capital allocation. That is a 53 per cent expenditure rate at mid-year, with the Treasury having released E1.11 billion by the end of September.
The Ministry says the full budget will be exhausted by year-end, driven by one project, the upgrading of Siphofaneni-Sithobela-Maloma-Nsoko and Maloma-Siphambanweni roads, the MR14 and MR21 corridor.
That corridor is the anchor of the Eswatini Road Infrastructure Improvement Programme, Phase I. The programme is valued at US$175.7 million totalling to E2.94 billion and is supported by the African Development Bank.
By the end of September, the Ministry reports, the main civil works contract for 105.8 kilometres had been concluded, financial securities cleared and the contractor mobilised on site with personnel, equipment and site facilities.
Physical tarring had not started pending the Engineer’s instruction, but the project has moved from procurement to implementation. Disbursement stood at US$23.9 million which is approximately E399.6 million, which is 13.61 per cent of the total cost, with most of that being advance payment to the contractor during the quarter.
Environmental and social safeguards are continuing, with compensation of affected persons completed last year and permits for quarry mining and water abstraction being processed.
The significance of the project goes beyond the road itself. It is the platform for institutional reform. The Government is transforming the Roads Department into the Eswatini Roads Authority under the Roads Authority Act of 2023.
The Ministry reports that governance structures and Board Committees have been established, recruitment of key executive positions has been initiated and benchmarking with regional road agencies is underway.
This is supported by US$13.8 million which is the E230.73 million Institutional Support Component under the AfDB programme. The component covers six principal areas: transport policy and planning, axle-load control, road safety institutional reform, technical specifications, road maintenance and development of transport public-private partnerships.
Procurement for these reforms is advancing. The Axle Load Policy and pilot programme had its expression of interest issued in June after receiving No Objection from the Bank. The capacity building programmes for the Roads Department and for auditors received No Objection in August.
Preparations are underway for the Transport Policy and Master Plan update, road reclassification and update of technical specifications to include climate resilience.