Works and transport minister John Mutorwa has cautioned contractors appointed to work on government projects to maintain honesty and complete projects on time to avoid delays which see the government spending more on single projects and putting other projects on hold.
Mutorwa said within the confines and limitations of the country’s financial resources, the government will continue to fast-track all road projects in order to ensure that the government provides safe and cost-effective transport infrastructure, as set out in Vision 2030.
He made these remarks during the ground breaking ceremony of the Tsandi-Omugulugwombashe settlement road project on Monday at Omugulugwombashe.
“The completion of these road projects throughout Namibia will bring us a step closer to achieving our objectives to expand the road infrastructure network in rural areas, and to reaching the practical realisation of our national motto: ‘One Namibia, one nation’.
“A contractor appointed for government projects must maintain discipline at all times and once the work starts it must not stop until the project is completed. I also want to urge the Roads Authority to make sure that contractors are paid on time in order to avoid delays when it comes to completing projects, and we should not have excuses here as far as possible,” said Mutorwa.
The construction of the Tsandi-Omugulugwombashe settlement road project will cost about N$35 million.
Mutorwa said the construction of this road project extends beyond its practical function as it holds historical significance because it leads to the Omugulugwombashe national heritage site and shrine.
“These monuments are a tribute to the bravery of Namibians: ‘Glory to their bravery, whose blood waters our freedom’.
“The battle of Omugulugwombashe on 26 August 1966 marked the start of the armed liberation struggle under Swapo, the liberation movement then; and the governing party now, since March 1990,” he said.
He reiterated that the development of rural roads forms a strong base of the national economy.
“It is a powerful instrument for socio-economic transformation for the villages, constituencies, regions and the whole country. “For that reason, the importance of providing rural feeder or access roads must not be ignored or undermined in the context of the attainment of our national economic and social goals. Rural roads provide much-needed opportunities for villagers to come in contact with other groups of society, which in turn, inculcates in them a sense of being part of the greater ‘Namibian house’,” said Mutorwa.
The gravel road will be upgraded to low volume bitumen standard with a total length of 22 kilometres, the minister said.
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