Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic

The nine-year period of operation and financing of the toll system was audited by the SAO SR as part of an audit preformed at the National Motorway Company (NMC). The audit results confirmed that the toll-revenue redistribution system does not sufficiently fulfil the main purpose of this system that charges for the use of motorways, expressways and Class I roads would make a significant contribution to the maintenance and construction of new road infrastructure.

Of one euro paid through tolls for toll road sections, only ten cents go to the construction of new motorways and expressways. Another 35 cents will go to the State NMC and up to 55 cents to the account of the private joint-stock company SkyToll, which provides an electronic toll system for NMC. Between 2014 and 2018, out of less than a billion euros, the NMC could use only 97 mil euros for the construction of transport infrastructure. The total toll revenue for the years 2010 to 2018 amounted to more than 1.5 bn euros, of which NDS paid SkyToll up to 760 mil euros.

The state has paid EUR 256 mil to build the toll system, yet it does not own the technological equipment or the system as such. Not only is this situation in conflict with the principles of economy, but it has also been suspected of fulfilling the factual nature of the crime of breach of duty in the administration of foreign property. Therefore, the SAO SR relinquished the suspicion to organs active in criminal proceedings.

Since the contract with SkyToll is expiring by the end of 2022, the SAO SR called on the Ministry of Transport to draw up a proposal for another solution in the near future to ensure a smooth and efficient toll collection in the future. An important source of funding for the construction of road infrastructure is currently European Union funding. The SAO SR therefore draws attention to the risk that in the event of a reduction, resp. closing the option to draw from the EU funds, Slovakia will not be able to generate enough of its own resources to finance investments in transport infrastructure. Due to the seriousness of the findings, the SAO SR submitted information about the audit conclusions also to the meeting of the Slovak Republic Government.