OMUTHIYA – Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Iipumbu Shiimi said the Namibian Government plans to drill 100 boreholes all over the country with the assistance of the Chinese government.
Speaking during the mid-term budget consultation held at Omuthiya on Thursday, the finance minister said plans to drill these boreholes are underway, and the government is committed to addressing water scarcity, especially in the Oshikoto region.
“We have allocated N$2.2 billion to the water challenges and the idea is to resolve the water issues,” said Shiimi.
He said the government wants to increase the supply of water to communities in Oshikoto, specifically as the region’s population has increased significantly.
“There is a project that is going to take water from Oshakati to Omuthiya, and more boreholes will be drilled in this region,” said Shiimi.
He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has already drilled 29 boreholes in the Oshikoto Region, and is also in the process of constructing three earth dams.
The meeting, aimed at gathering input from various stakeholders for the mid-term budget review, was attended by various stakeholders from local authorities, the business community, religious leaders, youth, farmers and regional councillors.
-Nampa