Minister demands explanations

Only 20% of  national projects completed

Rudi Bowe

The National Planning Commission (NPC) is carrying out an analysis to determine why so many national development projects are either delayed or not even out of the starting blocks yet. All regions are now required to provide a list and also reasons for projects, in order to prioritise these for speedy completion.

The issue of incomplete projects was not the only pebble in the sandal identified by the recent high-level consultative retreat of the Ministry of Ur-ban and Rural Development. At this consultative retreat, held at the civic centre in Walvis Bay, regional authorities said much of the problems are created by the fact that budget allocations are done so late that the various authorities are not left with much of the remainder of a financial year to plan, execute and complete projects.
The Minister, Peya Mushelenga nonetheless wanted to know from the various Governors, mayors and chief regional officers why so many projects were incomplete. He demanded explanations.
Incomplete projects deny service delivery, was the Minister’s message.
In his address a very concerned Director-General of the NPC, Obed Kandjoze said some 500 projects only 90 projects were completed and that at a total price tag of N$24 million. The projects include hospitals, clinics, housing and sanitation projects bathroom and essential services, but with only one fifth completed there is still a long way to go.
“It is worrisome. It also indicates that substantive resources are injected into the regions but these incomplete projects were supposed to deliver the service to our people by now”, he explained.
Adding Namibia needs a better approach to match re-sources, skills and technology to complete the projects. Many of the incomplete projects now hamper health- and education service delivery.
Kandjoze further said: “President Hage Geingob tasked the NPC to address these serious needs and to bring services to our people. It is worrisome to see that shack dwellers for instance built a complete house for approximately N$70 000, but that is the price for a toilet in rural areas”.