By William J. Mbangula OSHAKATI President Festus Mogae of Botswana says his country is delighted to acknowledge Namibia’s proposal for cooperation in the areas of decentralisation, exchange of documentation and twinning arrangements between regional councils and local authorities for the purpose of local and rural economic development. ” As a result, our two countries have agreed to share experiences on fiscal decentralisation, local economic empowerment, community participation, financial assistance, attracting investment to local authorities, and public private partnership arrangements. Both countries have valuable information, expertise and knowledge which can be exchanged for the benefit of our people,” he said. President Mogae was speaking at the official inauguration of the N$18 million Chinese-built Civic Centre building of the Oshakati Town Council during his visit yesterday. He hailed the opening of the centre as a historic occasion in the consolidation of regional and local authority structures in Namibia, and the strengthening of regional governance in the country. The Minister of Trade and Industry Immanuel Ngatjizeko accompanied him to Oshakati. The Head of State of Botswana who is the SADC chairperson also visited Ondangwa railway line in order to witness himself the ongoing process of regional economic integration in SADC countries, which may result in the railway line linking Namibia to Angola. The new building is an all-inclusive posh structure, which will accommodate 70 employees and five departments of the Oshakati Town Council. According to the Oshakati Town Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Nghihepa the old building of the council will be rented out to the Oshana Regional Council.