KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — The triennial increase in toll rates for the North-South Expressway (PLUS) were stipulated in the concession agreement signed by a previous administration, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said today.

Commenting on speculation that the toll rates will be increased next year following a parliamentary reply from his deputy that said the concessionaire was entitled to raise rates every three years, he said this was unavoidable due to the terms in the “legacy” agreement.

But he noted that the Najib administration was able to renegotiate the quantum of increase to the current 5 per cent after the concession holder was bought out by UEM Malaysia and the Employees Provident Fund in 2010.

“The PLUS highways concession agreements were renegotiated based on a legacy concession agreement that previously allowed a 10 per cent hike in toll prices every three years decided under a previous prime minister,” Fadillah said in a statement.

He then emphasised that the increase was not automatic and must still be decided by the government.

Fadillah added that toll rates along the PLUS have not been raised since 2005.

He also stressed that the ruling Barisan Nasional was committed to fulfilling its Election 2013 pledge to reduce intercity toll rates by 2018.

Yesterday, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said in Parliament that PLUS is entitled to raise toll rates by 5 per cent every three years from next year onwards until the end of the agreement in 2038.