Ministry serious about car fleet

GOVERNMENT generated N$9,1 million last year by auctioning off old vehicles, Transport Minister Joel Kaapanda has told the National Assembly.

Motivating his ministry’s budget vote in the National Assembly this week, Kaapanda said 776 old vehicles that were becoming expensive to maintain were sold at various auctions countrywide, and more vehicles will continue to be sold in the coming months. Government has bought 514 new vehicles, including a number of vehicles bought for political office bearers.Kaapanda also vowed that the theft of vehicles from the Government Garage would receive attention this year.So would concerns raised recently by a Parliamentary Standing Committee on the garage’s financial management.He said the Ministry was implementing a new computerised fleet management system, which would be compatible with the system used by the Ministry of Finance.”This system will have vehicle-tracking capabilities, improved financial management, and the general operations of the Government Garage,” he said.Kaapanda also announced that the European Union (EU) would be funding a number of gravel road projects this year to the tune of N$43 million.These projects include a 22-km stretch of road between Kongola and the Zambian border, a five-kilometre stretch between Katima Mulilo and the Kopano Quarantine Camp and a drainage project for Sesfontein, Okanguati and Okombahe.In addition, the German-owned development bank KfW (Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau) is set to finance a stretch of road between Onyaanya and Onanke to the tune of N$21 million during this financial year.The Ministry’s Transport and Communication department has been allocated N$713 million of the National Budget, while the Works Department will get N$357,5 million.Government has bought 514 new vehicles, including a number of vehicles bought for political office bearers.Kaapanda also vowed that the theft of vehicles from the Government Garage would receive attention this year.So would concerns raised recently by a Parliamentary Standing Committee on the garage’s financial management.He said the Ministry was implementing a new computerised fleet management system, which would be compatible with the system used by the Ministry of Finance.”This system will have vehicle-tracking capabilities, improved financial management, and the general operations of the Government Garage,” he said.Kaapanda also announced that the European Union (EU) would be funding a number of gravel road projects this year to the tune of N$43 million.These projects include a 22-km stretch of road between Kongola and the Zambian border, a five-kilometre stretch between Katima Mulilo and the Kopano Quarantine Camp and a drainage project for Sesfontein, Okanguati and Okombahe.In addition, the German-owned development bank KfW (Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau) is set to finance a stretch of road between Onyaanya and Onanke to the tune of N$21 million during this financial year.The Ministry’s Transport and Communication department has been allocated N$713 million of the National Budget, while the Works Department will get N$357,5 million.