Martin Endjala
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development has committed to provide approximately N$1.03 billion for projects related to sustainable urban development, vocational training, climate change adaptation and the protection of biodiversity and improved water supply in Namibia.
This was announced by the City of Windhoek Mayor, Joseph Uapingene, during the ordinary council meeting held last week.
This follows the successful negotiations on the development cooperation between the Government of Namibia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany held in Berlin from 7-8 June 2023.
Wilhencia Uiras, Executive Director of the National Planning Commission, led the Namibian delegation during the negotiations.
As a result of the negotiations, Uapingene said Namibian was able to secure N$1.1 billion in new funding from Germany, which will be utilised for various projects in Namibia, that focus on securing water supply and promoting sustainable urban mobility.
The mayor said that the deal was signed in Berlin as both countries strengthened their bilateral ties.
The Municipal Council of Windhoek, as the implementing body that represents Namibia on various projects, will designate staff members to carry out particular project-related tasks to free up necessary and constrained resources for crucial project inputs.
Moreover, the Municipal Council is expected to abide by the established project implementation principles, to strengthen the sustainability of the development cooperation partnership.
Furthermore, the Council has approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Berlin Energy Agency (BEA), a municipal-owned entity of the City of Berlin that offers modern energy solutions and services.
BEA has three business divisions which are; Consulting, Contracting and International Know-how Transfer. Through the partnership, the City of Windhoek’s Department of Electricity and BEA are collaborating on a feasibility study to develop a solar Photovoltaic mini-grid for the Mix Informal Settlement which is located in the Windhoek Rural Constituency.
The initiative aims to provide affordable electricity to the settlement because extending electrical infrastructure from Windhoek to the area would require significant capital investment.
