Urban and Rural Development minister Erastus Uutoni, says its core developmental areas for the allocated budget of N$1.7 billion is the provision of serviced land, housing and improved sanitation countrywide.
He said the ministry would also enhance governance and service delivery at subnational levels.
“The country is faced with the persistent backlog in the supply of serviced land and housing. This is a situation that resulted from a combination of causal factors, which are manifesting in urban sprawl and the growth of informal sectors,” said Uutoni who recently motivated his ministry’s budget in the National Assembly.
He said these settlements are generally characterised by lack of tenure security and access to basic services such as water, proper sanitation, electricity and access roads.
Uutoni said: “The hygiene and welfare of the people in informal settlements, which is a common feature in our urban areas, is worrisome and is a crisis that requires urgent action.”
The minister noted that the processes of land and housing delivery is capital incentive and costly which involves a multitude of role players in and outside government, including private sectors.
“This means that the ministry, regional councils and local authorities are faced with efforts towards delivering on our assigned land and housing development mandate,” he mentioned.
Uutoni also admitted that the ministry’s level of delivery as a country is still below target and meeting the target requires unity of purpose and involvement of government at all levels.
“An allocation of N$960 million is a subsidy, which will go towards supporting and enhancing the operations and service delivery of the first programme, which is for the regional and local government and traditional authorities,” said Uutoni.
Programme two comprises of the enhancement of public participation in development planning and decision making (decentralisation), which will receive N$12 million to fund activities related thereof.
“The next programme which is the third is the support to habitat and housing development. An amount of N$523 million has been earmarked to ensure the availability of basic municipal infrastructure and service as well as the provision of housing in the country,” stated Uutoni.
The minister said the last programme is earmarked for rural development.
“An amount of N$84 million is earmarked for our on-going rural development initiatives, aimed at improving the livelihood of our fellow countrymen and women who reside in rural areas,” he said.
The ministry has, however, been able to deliver 84 newly proclaimed townships during the previous financial year among other things. This include 3 210 erven/plots serviced with water, sewer, electricity and roads.
“A total of N$383 million was spent on the construction of basic services in the various localities and regions of the country. N$50 million of that was given and used by the municipality of Windhoek for planning and facilitating tenure security as well as the construction of water, sewer and electrical reticulation networks and roads in Tobias Hainyeko, Moses ǁGaroëb, Samora Machel and Khomasdal constituencies as well as Mix settlement and Groot Aub in Windhoek Rural.”
– psiririka@nepc.com.na