Windhoek
Taxpayers will fork out over N$300 million for the administration and maintenance of government buildings and related infrastructure to the best possible standard for the current financial year.
The money will further be used to improve working conditions for all civil servants, allowing them to operate more efficiently.
The maintenance is part of the programme that also deals with improving living conditions in both rural and urban areas in all 14 regions. It achieves this through providing sound environment management to government facilities at far off remote places where municipal services are not provided.
This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, James Sankwasa, during a National Assembly debate on the Appropriation Bill.
According to him, in order to ensure appropriate and required maintenance budget allocation, and appreciation of the level of government infrastructure maintenance, the works ministry will undertake regional assessment visits.
He said the ministry intends to conduct a technical appraisal of all government infrastructure and assets in order to identify priority areas where infrastructure and buildings need to be maintained or upgraded as a matter of priority and urgency.
He however stressed that the budget allocation for infrastructure and building maintenance is currently booked under various government offices, leaving his ministry with a meagre budget allocation.
But even if that is the case, the same government offices still expect the works ministry to undertake all the maintenance work.
The servicing, maintenance and overhauling of water pumps and generator sets, as well as the rehabilitation of other existing specialised installations, also form part of this programme.
Examples of specialised installations include boilers, lifts, and cooling and sewer plants.
The documentation of Eenhana regional office, the construction of sub-offices in Okongo and Helao Nafidi, and the upgrading of existing sub-offices in Ruacana, Tsumeb and Tsumkwe, included under the programme, will facilitate having more offices in the remote rural areas.
Sankwasa indicated that during the previous financial year, 62 government houses were sold to the occupants for N$6 million.