WINDHOEK – The Oshikoto Region has been allocated N$224.1 million for its development budget for the 2019/2020 financial year. For the remainder of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) this amount will increase to N$256.9 million in 2020/21 before reducing slightly to N$247.5 million in 2021/22.
The most significant development budget expenditure by far for the current financial year in Oshikoto is N$25 million allocated for the Land Purchase Sub-Programme, which is being implemented through the Ministry of Land Reform. This specific programme will again receive N$25 million during the 2020/21 financial year and is expected to increase to N$28.4 million in the final year of the MTEF. The land reform ministry has also been allocated N$2 million in 2019/20, N$2.6 million for N$2020/21 and N$3.5 million for 2021/22 to be used to develop communal areas in the region.
Another major allocation for Oshikoto is N$21.7 million allocated for the construction of the Evaristus Shikongo Correctional Facility, which is being implemented through the Ministry of Safety and Security. This construction project is expected to receive N$20.2 million in 2020/21 and another N$15 million in 2021/22. The same ministry is also charged with the construction of the Oshikoto regional headquarters for which N$4.5 million has been allocated. According to the Ministry of Finance’s development budget expenditure estimates the headquarters construction has not been allocated any additional funds during the MTEF.
Then, through the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, basic education facilities in the region will be upgraded to the tune of N$11.4 million for the current financial year. For the remainder of the MTEF this will increase to N$12.8 million in 2020/21 before being slightly reduced to N$11.9 million in 2021/22. This ministry has also received N$10 million to construct a primary school at Ehangano, which is a project that will receive additional allocation of N$15 million for each of the remaining years in the MTEF.
An amount of N$20 million has been set aside to upgrade and renovate the Onandjokwe hospital, which for the remainder of the MTEF will receive another N$22 million in 2020/21 and N$8 million in 2021/22. In addition, N$4 million has been allocated for the construction of the Omuthiya district hospital.
In terms of services infrastructure an amount of N$30 million has been allocated, which is to be implemented through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. The N$30 million is set aside for Omuthiya (N$8 million), Tsumeb Phase 3 (N$8 million), Oniipa (N$7 million), Oshivelo (N$5 million) and Onayena (N$2 million). Each of these service infrastructure projects will have been allocated additional amounts for the remainder of the MTEF.