The chairperson of the Omusati Regional Council, Andreas Shintama, has urged technocrats and elected officials to speedily implement projects within the region.
Speaking at the opening of the first council meeting recently, Shintama said it is of paramount importance to meet deadlines and ensure all projects are completed.
He said the latter can be achieved if all the stakeholders tasked with the implementation of government projects, policies and development programmes work together to accomplish the task at hand.
“The slow pace at which we implement some of our activities and projects have become a concern for the council. Therefore, we need to improve so that, for example, it does not take us two years to complete a six months project – or even worse, unable to complete some projects,” said Shintama. He urged managers and regional councillors to be visible by supervising the projects to be undertaken.
In the same vein, Shintama said the regional council is also keen to have its settlements upgraded to local authority status.
He said the elevation to such status can be achieved if settlements already start operating like local authorities, including generating revenue.
“Those that prove themselves will then be able to pass the test and be proclaimed a local authority,” said Shintama.
He stressed that if a settlement has a reliable support base from its residents, it will also prove viable for proclamation to local authority status.
He reminded and appealed to the settlement residents to ensure they pay for services provided to them.
“These are services such as leasehold agreements, water usage, waste removal and other services. The sustainability of the settlement and its viability to qualify for local authority status is only possible if the residents honour their obligation to the settlement,” said Shintama.
– nashipala@nepc.com.na