Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The National Council has recommended that the Roads Authority and Road Fund Administration under the Ministry of Works and Transport, recognise and prioritise both towns and rural road infrastructure.
The recommendation is to ensure that connectivity in rural areas is positioned around rural development centres to grow the rural economy.
The National Council standing committee on transport, infrastructure, and housing, which released a report this week and recommended it to parliament, advocates for allocating more financial resources to rural road infrastructure during the four stages of the budget cycle.
This is to ensure sufficient funding to address the current infrastructure gap.
“The Ministry of Works and Transport in collaboration with Roads Authority is to ensure that the employment of locals receives priority in all road constructions as this encourages local workforce participation and maximises workforce in road infrastructure and maintenance activities. It also boosts the economy and gives a sense of local participation,” reads the report.
According to the committee, the lack of road connectivity negatively impacts access to health, education, and economic activities, disadvantaging rural communities.
“Ministry of Works and Transport and Roads Authority to ensure that roads that are constructed are compatible and resilient to climate change,” reads the report.
The report recommends readily sharing contactor plans with stakeholders and the general public.
The committee underscores the importance of regional councillors taking a proactive role in road construction initiatives.
‘’Regional councils consider road connectivity as highlighted in the report by the communities in the constituencies to ensure that rural roads are given priority in order to maximise service delivery and improve the lives of the rural communities. The government should allocate enough funds to the Ministry of Works and Transport to accelerate construction of rural road infrastructures to improve connectivity,’’ said the committee.
It is further recommended that all roads connected to proclaimed settlements be upgraded once off to bitumen standard.
Special attention is requested for the Kunene Region, where improvement in road quality and construction of bridges are necessary to guarantee unfettered use of their road network.
‘’The Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, in consultation with the Ministry of Works and Transport and other stakeholders, to consider road network infrastructure to be part of new school and clinic construction plans as this will avoid subjecting communities to challenges of accessing public services,” reads the report.
The committee also recommended that Regional Council Chairpersons become members of the Regional Road Board.
This would enable them to represent their region’s road-related challenges more effectively, as they are accountable for the overall development of their regions.
