Walvis Bay building forges ahead despite deficit

DESPITE the deficit of more than N$1,6 million that the Municipality of Walvis Bay expects in the next financial year, its council had approved building plans for N$200 million from July 1 2009 to now.

According to the chairperson of the council’s management committee Jeffrey Noabeb, ‘this is in fact a sign of confidence of property investments and development in our town’.Moreover, Noabeb told fellow councillors recently, a number of projects are in the pipeline – planned in conjunction with the local branch of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI). Among others, this includes land development of the Kuisebmond and Narraville areas as way of solving the housing need affecting especially the low to middle income groups. For this purpose, 137 erven in Narraville, 271 in Kuisebmond and 100 in Meersig have been identified, he said.Additionally, exploring more alternative energy sources is also on the cards. Noabeb said: ‘The council has already approved the allocation of land for a wind power generation plant at Farm 37 as well as the expansion of the Paratus Power Station whereby the council has relocated its garages, workshop and store facilities in support of this development.’Last week, Isak Katali, the Minister of Mines and Energy, also officiated at the ground breaking ceremony of the Anixas diesel generator project at the town. At the occasion, Katali expressed concern about the country’s power shortages and its impact on the economy. He said: ‘Economic development in our country will mainly depend on our ability to respond in time to the power shortage challenges facing the country. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to ensure that we deliver the needed projects on time.’During the budget speech, Noabeb further said the fishing industry – one of the harbour town’s lifelines – has also been hit hard by the global economic dire straits. ‘Significant investments in equipment, vessels and factories’ have, however, been made ‘which in turn led to employment creation’.