WINDHOEK – Prime Minster Dr Hage Geingob has commended the Government of the United State of America for displaying an honest commitment to development through the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia (MCA-N).
“There is no doubt that the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Namibia compact has had an immense impact in terms of supporting development in Namibia,” he said while briefing parliamentarians on achievements made by MCA-N on Tuesday.
Geingob says despite the fact that “all good things must eventually come to an end,” benefiting institutions are committed to continue with compact activities as government is ready to continue funding and sustain these very crucial activities.
“We have a large task on our hands to ensure that the excellent achievements of the MCA Namibia compact are sustained and built upon,” he said, adding that it will require hard work and commitment.
Geingob says there is no doubt that the MCA has made this better in Namibia and that the United States Government has encapsulated the sentiment that Robert Kennedy expressed by developing the initiative which has helped transform the lives of so many citizens.
MCA- N has lso made a significant contribution to the agricultural sector, focusing on three main activities which include land access and management, livestock support and indigenous natural product.
Since coming into force in 2008 MCA-N upgraded and expanded 48 schools identified by government as being in need of renovations.
Additionally, some 1.7 million textbooks for grade 5 to 12 for English, Mathematics and Science were also bought and distributed countrywide.
In the area of tourism, MCA-N invested approximately US $ 29.8 million in the Etosha National Park mainly to build staff houses and management infrastructure for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Other contributions have been towards enhancing park control capacity and the marketing of the Namibian Tourism and Development for local conservancies.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, MCA-N assisted communal livestock farmers by enhancing their resources management knowledge therefore allowing them to look after their livestock and rangelands, enabling them to raise healthier animals.
Additionally MCA- N constructed modern veterinary offices around the country to the tune of US$ 9.8 million and helped to train producers of indigenous natural products in northern and north-eastern Namibia.