OKAHANDJA – The multi-billion-dollar Windhoek-Okahandja road project has to date created more than 300 jobs.
According to Roads Authority (RA) CEO Conrad Lutombi, this is well within their strategic goal of transferring skills and opportunities to locals.
Briefing the media on the progress of the project during the official opening of an 11km section of the road between the Omakunde and Gross Barmen interchanges on Tuesday, he said more than 300 jobs had been created during the first and fourth phases of the project.
“When you look at these types of road projects, we must also look at the skills transfer aspect, and how locals benefit from the various opportunities created here. With the Windhoek-Okahandja road project, especially during the first four phases, over 300 job opportunities were created for locals, and these are jobs at various skill levels.
“This is the kind of impact we want to see. The RA, as part of its strategic goals, is very deliberate about skills transfer and creating opportunities for locals,” he reiterated.
Lutombi said the RA has so far spent close to N$2 billion on the project, which has progressed from the Omakunde interchange to the Gross Barmen interchange and is anticipated to reach Okahandja by May next year.
“This is also not just limited to creating jobs for our locals, but we also want to see Namibian contractors gaining exposure and experience on these big local projects, and then going on to compete with others for major projects in the SADC region and on the continent. That is our plan as the RA, to empower Namibians at all levels and at all phases of our projects.
“Namibian companies must use such opportunities to grow themselves and own the majority of shares whenever local projects are available. But all in all, as said, I’m happy that here at the Windhoek-Okahandja road, we managed to create so many jobs and transferred so much skills in the process,” he added.
The road is being upgraded from a dual-carriageway to a four-lane freeway. It is being constructed by Otesa, a local construction company, and Italian firm Cooperativa Muratori Cementisti Ravenna.
Otesa has a 60% shareholding in the project, while Cooperativa Muratori Cementisti Ravenna owns 40%. For the remaining part of the Okahandja-Windhoek road, whose construction started in 2016, the RA will spend close to N$3 billion.
Besides the Windhoek-Okahandja road, the RA has also embarked on the construction of the Windhoek-Rehoboth, Windhoek-Hosea Kutako International Airport, Walvis Bay-Swakopmund, Omuthiya-Ondangwa and the Ondangwa-Oshakati freeways, with the completion date for all these road projects set for May next year.
The nationwide expansion of road networks is part of the RA’s N$15 billion Integrated Strategic Business Plan, which runs from the 2022/23 financial year until the 2026/27 fiscal period.
The mega N$15 billion plan is being funded through the Road Fund Administration (RFA), which is expected to deliver N$10.27 billion, while government will provide N$2.78 billion, and N$1.22 billion will be expected to be sourced through loans and grants.
The plan, Lutombi further shared, targets to upgrade 700km of national roads to bitumen standards and construct another 215km of roads to gravel standards, while 410km of national road network will be fully rehabilitated.
Also, as part of the plan, roads which are not surfaced and are in an unacceptable condition countrywide will be reduced from 49% to at least 38%.
- ohembapu@nepc.com.na