Govt set to spend N$1,58 billion on water, sanitation

GOVERNMENT plans to spend N$1,58 billion over the next five years to develop water and sanitation infrastructure in rural areas, with the bulk of the funding coming from donor countries.

‘This will translate into N$316 million per annum,’ said Viktor Slinger of the Directorate of Rural Water Supply in the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday at a workshop of experts to discuss progress and challenges. Although the amounts are huge and Namibia has made substantial inroads to improve water supply and sanitation, it will not reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the water and sanitation sector by 2015.All member states of the United Nations have committed themselves to reach several goals, like reducing hunger, poverty and child mortality and improving basic services.According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Isak Katali, who opened the meeting, 98 per cent of Namibians in towns and 80 per cent in rural areas have access to water. About 82 per cent of urban households have access to sanitation and in rural areas 21,1 per cent of households, Katali said.Some of the participants said more progress could have been made but administrative processes and red tape often delayed the actual work. The Charge d’Affaires of the Icelandic Embassy in Namibia, Dr Vilhjalmur Wiium, said his country was involved in the drilling of dozens of boreholes in the Kunene Region together with the Agriculture Ministry. ‘These ministerial officials in the region did not have vehicles available as two were broken and we had to rent a vehicle for six weeks last year to continue with the project,’ said Wiium. ‘Namibia is a rough country with vast distances. Government officials should have transport to carry out their duties,’ Wiium added.