WINDHOEK – When Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein tabled the national budget in March this year, he allocated just over N$300 million to the Oshana Region’s development budget for the 2019/20 financial year. This amount is however set to increase quite substantially during the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to about N$464 million in 2020/21 before ballooning even further to more than N$483 million in the 2021/22 financial year.
By far the most substantial expenditure for this year in the Oshana Region is N$40 million allocated for the northern railway line extension. This project, being implemented by the Ministry of Works and Transport, will see a massive intensification as it is set to receive N$181 million during the 2020/21 before escalating to a budget of N$190 million in 2021/22.
The works ministry, through Roads Authority, is also set to implement the completion of the Okatana-to-Endola-to-Onunho road, which is a distance of about 36km, for N$35 million. This roads project has been allocated another N$30 million for 2020/21 and N$40 million for 2021/22.
Another notable allocation for Oshana’s development budget is N$20 million allocated to upgrade and renovate the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital. During the MTEF, this project, being implemented through the Ministry of Health and Social Services, will receive N$23 million in 2020/21 and another N$20 million in 2021/22.
The health ministry has also received N$5 million to construct and renovate the Oshana regional management team’s office as well as N$2.8 million for the maintenance and repair of health infrastructure in the region.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development was allocated N$10 million for the construction of services infrastructure in Ongwediva (Phase 3) and N$10 million for services infrastructure in Ondangwa (Phase 1 &2) while services infrastructure in Oshakati was allocated N$8 million.
This ministry also received N$3 million for services infrastructure in Eheke (Phase 3) and another N$3 million for the same project in Uukwangula (Phase 3) while N$3.5 million will go towards the provision of basic sanitation in rural areas.
About N$9 million has been availed to construct a new piggery farm at Okatyali village. This project is set to receive N$15 million in 2020/21 and another N$20 million in 2021/22.
A number of allocations have also been made in the development budget for the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, which includes N$11.7 million to extend the Central Veterinary Laboratory. This project is expected to receive another N$15 million for each of the remaining years in the MTEF.
Also, Agro Processing Development in the Oshana Region has been allocated N$10 million through the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development. This project is set to receive N$10 million in 2020/21 and another N$5 million in 2021/22.