WINDHOEK – The Otjozondjupa Region has received just over N$575 million for its development budget for the 2019/20 financial year. As tabled by Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein in his budget speech in March this year, the Otjozondjupa budget is anticipated to increase to more than N$610.9 million in 2020/21 before reducing to N$557.9 million in 2021/22.
By far the most substantial expenditure is N$174.5 million allocated to rehabilitate 67km of the Windhoek to Okahandja road. This project, being implemented through the Ministry of Works and Transport, will receive an additional N$133 million (2020/21) and N$125 million (2021/22) during the remainder of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
The transport ministry has also been tasked to implement railway network upgrading in the region to the tune of N$57.9 million during the current financial year. For the remainder of the MTEF, railway network upgrading will receive an additional N$57 million in 2020/22 which will balloon to N$91.9 million in 2021/22.
The same ministry has also been allocated N$36 million to upgrade the Gobabis to Otjinene road to bitumen standard. This project has been allocated another N$40 million for 2020/21 as well as N$23.2 million in 2021/22.
Then, through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, the construction of services infrastructure in Otjozondjupa has been allocated a whopping N$54.5 million. This significant amount will be used for the construction of services infrastructure in Okahandja (N$10 million), Okakarara (N$5.5 million), Otavi (N$10 million), Grootfontein (N$8 million), Gam (N$3 million), Okandjira (N$3 million), Otjiwarongo (N$8 million), Okondjatu (N$3 million), Kalkfeld (N$1 million) and Okamatapati (N$3 million). All of these areas will continue to receive substantial allocations to continue with services infrastructure during the MTEF.
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has also been allocated N$30 million to construct the Otjozondjupa Regional Office Park. During the remainder of the MTEF the regional office park will receive an additional N$11 million in 2020/21 and N$9 million in 2021/22. The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has been allocated N$30 million (N$10 million for each of the financial years in the MTEF) for the construction of a primary school at Otavi. A similar primary school project at Tsaraxa-aibes (Otjiwarongo) has been allocated N$13 million for 2019/20, which will be supported by N$15 million in both 2020/21 and 2021/22.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has been allocated N$6.4 million to upgrade and renovate the Otjiwarongo District Hospital, which will receive an additional N$6 million (2020/21) and N$2 million (2021/22) during the MTEF. The upgrading and renovation of the Okakarara hospital has also been allocated N$5 million in 2029/20, N$2 million in 2020/21 and N$2 million in 2021/22 while N$5 million has been allocated to upgrade and renovate the Okahandja hospital.
Other significant allocations include N$25.8 million to upgrade and construct lower courts in the region, which will be implemented through the Ministry of Justice. This specific project has been allocated N$39.7 million for 2020/21 and N$35 million in 2021/22. In addition, N$15 million has been set aside for implementation through the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, for integrated grain storage facilities. This project has been allocated another N$N$16.3 million (2020/21) and N$15 million (2021/22) during the MTEF.