Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Windhoek-The Okakarara Constituency office says it will delay five construction projects across the constituency as it faces last year’s wide-reaching budgetary shortfalls that could ultimately derail the projects altogether.
Okakarara Constituency Councilor Vetaruhe Kandorozu said projects affected are services such as water and sewerage reticulation at Okamatapati, Okondj and Coblenz.
He said another is the construction of a sports field at Oatukakarara and also the upgrading of the Okakarara State Hospital.
“Approximately N$20 million has been cut from different ministries but the biggest came from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, the line ministry,” he said.
“We assume there are other projects from other line ministries that were cut for the constituency and the amount can escalate to even N$30 million,” he added.
According to him, the budget cuts have also negatively affected the constituency in terms of job creation.
“Most of our people are self-employed and the freezing of awarding of tender contracts and feasibility studies/survey for new tenders have negatively affected job opportunities,” he said.
“We don’t take this as a political decision but a clear economic meltdown or crisis we unfortunately find ourselves in as a country but not as a constituency,” he said
Kandorozu called upon staff at the Ministry of Finance to jealously guard against any misuse of money and also to collect enough money at customs to remedy the situation.
He encouraged fellow countrymen to pay their taxes and levies to enable the finance ministry to fund all future possible projects.
Kandorozu requested executive branches to make economical decisions when it comes to project implementation rather than making political ones.
On a positive note, Kandorozu said the constituency received substantial rainfall of between 100m and 150ml at different villages and localities.
He said in this regard many crop farmers in the area have joined the call to answer to food security by starting with ploughing their respective fields.
However, he said, the agricultural ministry has availed one tractor for the entire constituency which he thinks is not sufficient for the constituency with four communal settlement areas that cover a geographical area of 16,257 square kilometres.
“It could have been wiser if each settlement area got their own tractor as the current pace will delay the process of ploughing,” he said.