Staff Reporter

WINDHOEK – The Hardap Region had been allocated N$284.7 million for the development budget during the 2019/2020 financial year. As tabled in the national budget by Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein, in March this year, the Hardap Region’s development budget is expected to decrease slightly to just under N$260 million in the 2020/21 financial year, before rebounding to more than N$282.3 million in the 2021/22 financial year. 

At the top of the Hardap Region’s Development Budget expenditure for the current financial year is N$50 million allocated for the construction and upgrading of Early Childhood Development centres. This project is to be implemented through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare. This significant amount will be complemented with N$13.8 million meant for the construction and upgrading of Primary Health Care clinics as well as an additional N$N$11.6 million for Primary Health Care centres in the region. Also, through the health ministry, the region has been allocated N$2.8 million for the maintenance and repair of health infrastructure. 
Second on the expenditure amount for the region is the upgrading of the Gobabis to Aminius to Aranos road to bitumen standard. This N$40 million project is to be implemented through the Ministry of Works and Transport. For the remainder of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, this project will be allocated N$25 million in 2020/21 and another N$45 million in N$2021/22. 
Third on the expenditure tally for Hardap is N$25 million set aside for the Land Purchase Sub-Programme through the Ministry of Land Reform. 
As detailed in the region’s development budget, services infrastructure remains a top priority for Hardap. During the current financial year, N$10 million has been allocated for the construction of the Hardap Regional Office Park. In addition, construction of services infrastructure in Klein Aub received N$3 million, Gibeon received N$4 million, Maltahohe was allocated N$3 million, Stampriet was allocated N$7 million and Rehoboth received N$6 million. The towns of Aranos, Kalkrand, Schlip and Gochas have been allocated N$5 million each for services infrastructure while Hoachanas received N$4 million and Mariental secured N$8 million. These infrastructure developments have been allocated similar amounts during the MTEF, and these projects will be implemented through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. Overall, the Hardap Region as a whole was allocated N$3 million for the provision of basic sanitation in rural areas.  
Other notable allocations for the Hardap Region in the development budget include N$7 million, through the Ministry of Safety and Security, for the housing accommodation at Border Post and Outpost, N$5.4 million to upgrade tourist roads as well as N$5.3 million for the establishment of agro-processing facilities. 
Photo: Hardap
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