By Moses Amweelo
It is the responsibility of the government to provide good transport infrastructure in Namibia, whether for road, rail, sea or air. Without a proper transport infrastructure the economy of the country will not grow, develop and expand. It is for this reason that the maintenance of the infrastructure requires a huge amount of finances from the state revenue fund.
It is against this background that the governments of the Republic of Namibia and the Kingdom of Spain signed a cooperation agreement for the upgrading and rehabilitation of airports and civil aviation infrastructure, amongst others.
This contract for the rehabilitation and upgrading of airports and civil aviation infrastructure in Namibia was launched by His Excellency, Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, former President of the Republic of Namibia on November 10, 2004 at Walvis Bay.
Under these agreements, the government through the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication and a Spanish group of companies, consisting of Defex, Page and Ineco, referred to as Inepade, agreed to work together to complete this project within a time frame of 24 months. Two Spanish financial institutions and the Government of the Republic of Namibia are funding this important project, worth approximately Euros 32,268 million.
The project consists of three components, being civil works, aeronautical and airport equipment and fire-fighting and crash rescue vehicles.
The civil works component consists of:
– The design and construction for the lengthening and widening of the existing runway, a new taxiway and a new apron, a new access road and security fencing for Walvis Bay airport.
– Investigations into the water supply at Walvis Bay airport and preparation of the design for the upgrading of the existing water supply network.
– Investigations into the fuel hydrant system at Hosea Kutako international airport and the preparation of a design for the upgrading and repairs to the existing system.
– The preparation of a basic design for a new terminal building at Walvis Bay airport.
The Aeronautical and Airport Equipment Will Consist Of:
– Air traffic control communications equipment, which will be provided at Walvis Bay airport, Hosea Kutako international airport, Eros airport, L??????’??