Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Limited Funding Hampers Road Maintenance

Home Archived Limited Funding Hampers Road Maintenance

By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK Financing remains a major challenge for the maintenance of the existing road infrastructure, says the Minister of Works, Transport and Communication, Joel Kaapanda. According to Kaapanda, Namibia has to maintain a balance between the financing of existing roads and the need to construct new ones. While most of the roads are nearing the end of their lifespan, a huge gap exists between available financial resources and the actual required financing levels. The past few years have witnessed an annual decline in funds allocated towards the maintenance of the roads network. In 2005, an amount of N$420ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ million was budgeted for roads. This figure was reduced to N$398ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ million last year. Unfortunately, maintenance needs for roads continue to spiral each year while resources remain scarce. The annual budget for building and maintaining roads is estimated at N$500ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ million Namibia’s roads network stretches for more than 42ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 kilometres. In light of the scarce resources, the Minister welcomed the reintroduction of the Mass Distance Road-User Charges that were halted last year. The ministry has also instructed the Roads Authority to investigate the possible introduction of toll-gates in Namibia. Kaapanda says government has now adopted the Sector Wide Approach (Swap), which entails putting all financial resources from donors and financiers into one basket for government to decide on priorities in the roads sub-sector. He also commended the United States Government on the Millennium Challenge Account aimed at investing in infrastructure provision among other developing economies. “The envisaged substantial grant-funding shall immensely complement GRN’s own on-going efforts towards attaining economic growth and development,” he added. Whereas infrastructure financing and skills shortages remain some of the daunting challenges for Namibia, Kaapanda says they can be addressed with concerted efforts of planning. However, planning would be worthless unless it is a product of integrated and result-oriented planning among other virtues, he cautioned. Kaapanda spoke during the first meeting of the thematic working group on infrastructure (NDP3) on Monday.