Government to reduce spending on roads

GOVERNMENT funding for the maintenance and rehabilitation of national roads would be reduce over time at the same time as the need to build and improve rural roads increased, Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said on Monday.

The Minister made the statement at the opening session of a Road Fund Administration (RFA) stakeholder consultation on its business plan for 2004-05 to 2008-09. At present, the 42 000 kilometre national road network is maintained and rehabilitated by the Roads Authority (RA) with dwindling funds from the RFA and Central Government.Funding from the RFA is sustained largely through borrowing on the local capital market, while Government still carries a large portion of the funding responsibility for the national road network.Government has said that this arrangement would not be sustainable in the longer term.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said road users would ultimately have to take responsibility for the national road network.The meeting was attended by representatives from various local authorities, officials from the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing and senior Roads Authority personnel.- NampaAt present, the 42 000 kilometre national road network is maintained and rehabilitated by the Roads Authority (RA) with dwindling funds from the RFA and Central Government.Funding from the RFA is sustained largely through borrowing on the local capital market, while Government still carries a large portion of the funding responsibility for the national road network.Government has said that this arrangement would not be sustainable in the longer term.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said road users would ultimately have to take responsibility for the national road network.The meeting was attended by representatives from various local authorities, officials from the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing and senior Roads Authority personnel.- Nampa