OTJIWARONGO - The Otjiwarongo Municipality last week launched its five-year strategic plan at the town.
Minister of Urban and Rural Development Erastus Uutoni launched the document in the presence of several regional and local authority councillors from Okahandja, Otavi, Grootfontein, Otjiwarongo and Okakarara.
“This strategic plan document should not collect dust in your offices. Instead, use it as a guiding tool in developing this town, as well as in rendering quality municipal services to the residents,” he urged them.
Uutoni reminded the Otjiwarongo local authority councillors of their five-year term, stressing that in that period, they should deliver serviced land, houses and clean drinking water to the residents.
He also called on the municipality to allocate funds and utilise competent minds who would drive the aims and objectives of the strategic plan.
In his closing remarks, Uutoni requested the municipality to look around town for a piece of land where the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development could spend money to service land for residential purposes, as there is N$700 million budgeted by his ministry for land servicing across the country during this financial year.
Otjiwarongo mayor Gottlieb Shivute promised to deliver the piece of land, as such a request provides a solution to objective one of the newly-launched strategic plan on spatial planning and infrastructural development.
The five other objectives of the strategic plan include a sustainable working environment and public safety; socio-economic advancement of the town; business innovation and financial sustainability; as well as the operational efficiency of the workforce.
“Our main aim in the next five years is to develop this town into a smart city of excellence,” said Shivute.
The municipality’s acting chief executive officer, Erickson Mwanyikange, said in the next five years, they intend to improve their financial capacities.
“We are owed more than N$ 57 million in rates and taxes. Therefore, our aim is to collect this money, and use it in implementing our strategic plan of action,” he added. - Nampa