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Home / Budget under-utilisation stunts development
Budget under-utilisation stunts development
2013-08-30Mathias Haufiku RUNDU - Government wants a 100 percent budget implementation on capital projects from local and regional authorities with the intention to improve the lives of citizens. Speaking to New Era yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Sirkka Ausiku, warned authorities not to sit on money intended for various communities. New Era on Wednesday reported that the implementation rate for capital projects has plummeted to 40 percent, from the 70 percent recorded in the previous financial year as regions struggle to implement capital projects. “The budget they receive should be utilised – we cannot punish communities because of us officials. If you receive money on behalf of the community, then spend it on them. Don’t keep it for years while people cry out for services,” said Ausiku. Ausiku called on all regional and local authorities to take ownership of capital projects and to monitor them. “See that technical people implement the projects,” she said. “We cannot always be relying on headquarters to do the monitoring, the officials in the region must start doing it themselves,” said Ausiku. Ausiku said some of the regional and local authorities are requesting more funds, yet they cannot even utilise funds at their disposal. “Some places do not have enough capacity, how can you still have money from your 2010/2011 budget but the people are in need of services?” she noted. She said processes such as tendering and planning are some of the factors causing delays when it comes to spending allocated funds. “If they cannot implement now, what then when we give them more money?” queried the permanent secretary. Regional and local authorities continue to ineffectively implement capital projects, even after the central government adopted the decentralisation policy a few years ago. Failure to implement government projects in the regions is also seen as the reason why urbanisation has been escalating of late because rural areas are not being equipped with the relevant infrastructure and other services. It is an open secret that sanitation, rural electrification and the upgrading of roads in the two Kavango regions which will allow government services to reach the remote areas are either not being addressed or infrastructure is constructed at a snail’s pace. Although the central government has decentralised capital projects, some government agents in the regions continue to deliver dismal service to residents. Information provided to New Era recently by the line ministry shows that several regional councils such as Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Kavango, //Karas and Kunene are struggling to utilise funds allocated to them within the given financial years. Municipalities like Omaruru, Mariental, Gobabis, Outjo, Tsumeb, Okahandja, Grootfontein and Windhoek are included in the list. The guilty town councils include Rundu, Nkurenkuru, Katima Mulilo, Arandis, Usakos, Eenhana, Helao Nafidi, Omuthiya, Okakarara, Otavi, Okahao, Outapi, Oshikuku, Oshakati, Ongwediva, Ondangwa, Okakarara and Opuwo. Leonardville Village Council is also listed. By Mathias Haufiku 2013-08-30Mathias Haufiku
