It’s ready, steady, go! for MCA funds

NAMIBIA is more than N$2 billion ‘richer’ after the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), courtesy of the US government, was activated yesterday to fight poverty by targeting education, tourism and agriculture.

The country has five years to spend just over N$1 billion (US$145 million) on education, about N$469 million (US$67 million) on tourism and nearly N$329 million (US$47 million) as part of the US$304,5 million MCA Compact agreement.About N$273 million (US$39 million) has been set aside for the administration of the MCA Namibia Management Unit within the National Planning Commission (NPC).’US$39 million for the 20 of you,’ Prime Minister Nahas Angula said addressing the MCA Namibia staff. ‘So there’s no reason at all for you to fail.’US Ambassador to Namibia Dennise Mathieu reminded Namibia that it only has a limited time to use the money to kick-start projects in the various sectors.’The five years includes weekends, rain or shine,’ she said. The more than a billion earmarked for education will go to projects set to complement the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (Etsip).Infrastructure and equipment in about 47 primary and secondary schools, mainly in the North, will be upgraded, while training programmes for teachers and school administrators will be improved. Teacher training colleges will also receive support for policy-relevant studies, as well as science and computer training facilities.Some of the money will buy science, maths and English textbooks for grades 5 to 12 throughout Namibia. A new system will monitor the supply and demand of textbooks.The MCA Namibia Education Project will furthermore establish a National Training Fund within the Namibia Training Authority to fund priority skills areas like tourism training, the construction and renovation of about nine community-based skills development centres (COSDECs), as well as to promote private partnerships to handle the market’s demand for employment.Three regional study and resource centres (RSRCs) will be established in needy areas to improve access to documentation, information resources, training materials and programmes and study facilities. The RSRC staff will provide technical assistance and training.A tertiary and technical education finance system will be established to expand and improve access to funding in this area.Furthermore, the Ministry of Education’s HIV-AIDS Management Unit will be strengthened.As far as the MCA Namibia Tourism Project is concerned, the millions will support three main activities to improve the management and infrastructure of the Etosha National Park, boost marketing of local tourism and develop the capacity of communal conservancies to lure investments in ecotourism.About 31 conservancies with ‘high tourism potential’ will receive technical assistance and funding. Joint-venture tourism enterprises between conservancies and the private sector will be encouraged and funded.The US$47 million allocated to the MCA Namibia Agricultural Project will concentrate on livestock, land access and management, as well as indigenous natural products.Veterinary services north of the Red Line will be improved in an effort to obtain an animal disease-free status for the northern communal areas so that these farmers can enjoy better marketing opportunities and gain access to international markets. Grazing and farming practices will improve through land management.Furthermore, more Namibians will be encourage to collect, harvest and add value to natural products like the marula, Kalahari melon seed, hoodia and devil’s claw.