SD HIGH COMMISSION OWING E8 MILLION UK TRAFFIC FINES

MBABANE - The country’s High Commission in the United Kingdom allegedly owes more than E8 million in congestion charges.

According to information sourced from the internet, the congestion charge is a daily levy imposed on drivers choosing to drive within central London. It applies between 7am and 6pm on Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The congestion charge zone covers a large portion of central London.

The amount is contained in The Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations: Unpaid Congestion Charges Statement made by the Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Warsi in the House of Lords on July 15 this year. The statement is contained in the daily Hansard of the House of Lords.

Warsi said the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mark Simmonds, had made a written ministerial statement of debt incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London since its inception in February 2003 until December 2013. “The value of unpaid Congestion Charge debt incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London since its introduction in February 2003 until December 31, 2013 as advised by Transport for London was £75 364 182,” Simmonds said.
He also presented a table showing the diplomatic missions and international organisations with organisations with outstanding fines of £100 000 or more.

The Kingdom of Swaziland, according to the table, had 3 959 fines and a total outstanding of about E8 million (£442 695).
Efforts to get comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proved futile. The principal secretary (PS) said he was out of office and, therefore, would not know if any communication had been made to the ministry.

The acting PS asked to be sent a questionnaire, which had not been responded to at the time of compiling this report. Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended March 31, 2013 stated that the attention of the controlling officer had been drawn by that an amount of E3 240 (£240) at E13.50 exchange rate was paid to the City of Westminster as a negligence parking penalty. No reference to the congestion charge was made in the report.

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