A total of N.dollars 4.2 billion for the financial year of 2023/24 and N.dollars 13.1 billion over the Mid-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) has been allocated to the requisite infrastructure development sector.
Meanwhile, the transportation sector received a total of N.dollars 2.9 billion and N.dollars 9 billion for the 2023/23 financial year and MTEF respectively.
This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, at the African Road Maintenance Fund Association (ARMFA) Presidential handover ceremony in Swakopmund on Tuesday.
According to Hinda-Mbuende, this budget allocation is primarily for the completion of ongoing phases of road construction projects with contractual awards.
These include the finalisation of the Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway’s second phase, the Swakopmund-Henties Bay-Uis-Kamanjab road and the completion of phase one of the Windhoek-Hosea Kutako Airport road and the retention for the upgrades to Walvis Bay-Kranzberg railway line.
An additional N.dollars 1.5 billion was also allocated to the transport sector by the Road Fund Administration (RFA), to cater for road maintenance, rehabilitation of urban roads in Walvis Bay and the regravelling of roads in the Etosha National Park.
The deputy minister emphasised the importance of the existence of modern road infrastructure, which is synonymous with other important infrastructures such as telecommunications, energy and finance.
“Artificial intelligence is integrated in the cities of developed countries and modern vehicles are already fitted with software applications that interact with the roads, hence our roads need to come on par to be responsive to these vehicles. In order to achieve the objectives of a vision required, systematic interventions and credit should be given to ARMFA for crafting and adopting a five-year strategic plan and it is on that premise that is witnessed through its annual reporting and achievements emanating from the implementation of those identified strategic initiatives,” she noted.
Hinda-Mbuende called on ARMFA, through their strategic plan, to consider technological innovation that should further enhance road mobility, particularly in cities.
ARMFA was established in 2003 with the aim to promote and strengthen ties between road maintenance funds in Africa as well as provide support to emerging structures.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
