WINDHOEK – The Kavango West Region has been allocated N$257 245 000 in the 2019/20 financial year for its development budget. For the remainder of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the development budget for this region increases to N$331 992 000 in 2020/21 before reducing marginally to N$327 849 000 for the 2021/22 financial year.
Governor of the Kavango West Region, Sirkka Ausiku, has, however, expressed concern regarding the implementation of the various projects under the development budget.
“We feel that as a new region, the development budget allocation does not meet the needs of the region. One of the main concerns is the implementation of these development projects. We feel that given the little our region has received, government through the various ministries, needs to be implemented without delay,” Ausiku commented.
She added that some of the urgent interventions needed in the region include a district hospital and a secondary school with a hostel in Nkurenkuru.
“Our region is growing and the town of Nkurenkuru is growing but people are hesitant to settle here if there is no secondary school,” Ausiku continued.
At the very top of the priorities for the Kavango West Region in terms of the development budget is N$20 million allocated for the construction of garment factories through the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development. The allocation for garment factories is intended to increase to just over N$25 million during the 2020/21 financial year before sliding back down to N$20 million in the 2021/22 financial year.
The Ministry of Safety and Security in Kavango West has received a sizeable development budget allocation as N$25 million has been earmarked for the Kavango West Regional Headquarters, N$12 million has been set aside for the construction of police accommodation and N$15 has been allocated for the Nkurenkuru Class C Police Station.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has been allocated N$13.8 million for the construction and upgrading of primary health care clinics as well as N$11.6 million for the construction and upgrading of primary health care centres.
Then, through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, N$14 million has been set aside for the establishment of a Rural Development Centre while N$10 million goes to the construction of services infrastructure in Nkurenkuru Phase 2.
A number of significant allocations have also been made to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in Kavango West, the most notable being N$15 million for green schemes.
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology received N$11 million for the construction of a regional office in Kavango West. The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service has received N$5 million for the construction of the Nkurenkuru Multi-purpose Youth Resource Centre.