OKATANA: The demand for road infrastructure in Namibia is higher than the Roads Authority’s financial capacity, while the maintenance of the road network in the country continues to suffer tremendously due to inadequate funding.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority (RA) Conrad Lutombi said this at Okatana in the Oshana Region on the occasion of the groundbreaking for the upgrading to bitumen standard of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno Road by Works and Transport Minister Erkki Nghimtina on Thursday.
The 34km new main road (MR) 120 from Okatana in the Oshana Region through Endola up to Onhuno settlement in the Ohangwena Region will be upgraded to the cost of N.dollars 187 million for the next 15 months.
Lutombi believes that the construction of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno Road will bring much needed positive changes to the people. He on the other hand described road infrastructure as one of the biggest assets and the backbone of any country’s economy.
“More importantly, the construction of new roads is a foundation for socio-economic improvement, advancement and empowerment to our people in all corners of our country,” Lutombi told those present.
He added that it is a common knowledge that access to proper infrastructure means empowerment and the regions that do not have access to proper infrastructure are under developed and people in that regions are the most vulnerable to poverty.
Lutombi noted that the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno Road project will provide local people in the Oshana and Ohangwena regions with great opportunities in investment, generating employment and income improvement in order to gradually upgrade their living standards. Even though the Namibian nation is faced with financial difficulties, Lutombi expressed satisfaction that the government continues to fund new road projects.
Some 700 employment opportunities will be created during the upgrading of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno Road project for the people of Oshana and Ohangwena regions. The Namibia Road Products and Services is the main contractor in the project, Burmeister and Partners Consulting Engineers are the consultants while nine small and medium enterprises (SME) are sub-contractors.
(edited)OKATANA – The demand for road infrastructure in Namibia is higher than what the Roads Authority’s financial capacity can deliver, while the maintenance of the road network continues to suffer tremendously due to inadequate funding.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Roads Authority (RA), Conrad Lutombi said this at Okatana in the Oshana Region during a groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrading of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno road to bitumen standard.
Minister of Works and Transport, Erkki Nghimtina officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony, which took place on Thursday.
The new 34 kilometre main road (MR) 120 from Okatana in the Oshana Region through Endola and up to Onhuno settlement in the Ohangwena Region will be upgraded at a cost of N.dollars 187 million over the next 15 months.
Lutombi believes that the construction of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno road will bring much-needed positive change to the people. He described road infrastructure as “one of the biggest assets and the backbone” of a country’s economy.
“More importantly, the construction of new roads is a foundation for socio-economic improvement, advancement and empowerment to our people in all corners of our country,” he told those present.
The acting RA CEO added that it is common knowledge that access to proper infrastructure means empowerment, saying the regions that do not have access to proper infrastructure are under-developed and people in those regions are the most vulnerable to poverty.
He noted that the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno road project will provide people in the Oshana and Ohangwena regions with great opportunities in investment, generating employment and income improvement in order to gradually upgrade their living standards.
Even though the Namibian nation is faced with financial difficulties, Lutombi expressed satisfaction that the government continues to fund new road projects.
Some 700 employment opportunities will be created during the upgrading of the Okatana-Endola-Onhuno road.
Namibia Road Products and Services has been appointed as the main contractor in the project, while Burmeister and Partners Consulting Engineers are the consultants and nine small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will work as sub-contractors.