WALVIS BAY - At least 406 projects worth billions of dollars are still incomplete in Namibia. The situation denies ordinary Namibians especially in rural areas much needed services such as housing and health.
This was revealed yesterday in Walvis Bay by the Minister of Economic Planning and Director General of the National planning Commission (NPC) Obed Kandjoze.

Kandjoze spoke at the high-level consultative retreat hosted by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development Peya Mushelenga to consult governors, mayors and chief regional officers.

He told the gathering that NPC went on a fact-finding mission in middle last year until December and found 493 projects of which only 87 projects worth N$24 million were completed.

A concerned Kandjoze explained the projects include hospitals, clinics, housing and bathroom among other essential services that are much needed especially in the rural areas.

“Only a fifth of those 493 projects are completed, which is worrisome but also indicates that substantive resources are injected in the regions. All these projects were supposed to deliver services by now, but are either incomplete or abandoned.”

He said a directive was sent out to regions to see what these projects lack so that they could be completed as planned.  

Kandjoze also explained the commission is carrying out a situation analysis, to see what caused the incompletion of projects.

“We have to find better resources, skills and technology to complete them. We need to have a plan for those incomplete hospitals, schools, as our people need them.  Look at some of the rural toilets built at a cost of N$70 000 while the shack dwellers built a house for the same amount. These are the issues that we seriously need to address if we want to bring services to our people. It is my task from President Hage Geingob,” he said.

Kandojze also expressed concern over the regional budgets that reach the regions only by August. Stating that it is one of the biggest bottlenecks faced by regional councils in terms of planning.
“Receiving the budget by August left six months for planning and execution towards the end of financial year.” 

Technically paper works take three months leaving only three months for the implementation of projects and is a challenge of all regional councils in executing their duties and projects, said Kandjoze.  
Kandjoze however said this issue was already taken up with the relevant ministry.