‘Do not help defaulters’

THE Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry says it would be unfair for Government to financially assist communities who are struggling to pay their water bills.

Minister of Agriculture Nickey Iyambo said it would discourage those communities that do pay their bills and they might stop paying in anticipation of being met halfway by Government. “It will be completely unfair to meet a community halfway that owes NamWater half a million, while the neighbouring community does not owe NamWater but has paid its bills amounting to N$2 million or more.This cannot be allowed to happen,” Iyambo said in a statement.He was responding to claims by the regional councillor for Onyaanya constituency in the Oshikoto Region that the water debts of rural villages were caused by NamWater and the Ministry, as they do not pay community members for manning water points.Henock Kankoshi said some of these people have been tempted to keep some of the money they collect from their fellow villagers for water.”They are also entrusted to pay that money to NamWater offices every end of the month.But they are not receiving anything from NamWater,” told the National Council last week.As a result, he said, NamWater had disconnected some water points because the communities has ran into arrears.But Minister Iyambo said his Ministry was already contributing to the rural water supply and had paid N$17,8 million towards this in the 2006/2007 financial year.He said water committee members were also well aware that they are allowed to charge an overhead from the water-point users.This charge, he said, must however be agreed upon by the water users and not decided by committee members themselves.”Money collected is expected to be used for committees operation tasks, including transport to go and pay the bill at NamWater offices,” he said.The Community-Based Management of Rural Water Supply (CBM) strategy was introduced by the Ministry in 1997.Iyambo said the management of water points by communities themselves created an environment conducive to economic activities by community members.He said livestock farming, brick making and gardening are some of the activities many communities are benefiting from today.”It will be completely unfair to meet a community halfway that owes NamWater half a million, while the neighbouring community does not owe NamWater but has paid its bills amounting to N$2 million or more.This cannot be allowed to happen,” Iyambo said in a statement.He was responding to claims by the regional councillor for Onyaanya constituency in the Oshikoto Region that the water debts of rural villages were caused by NamWater and the Ministry, as they do not pay community members for manning water points.Henock Kankoshi said some of these people have been tempted to keep some of the money they collect from their fellow villagers for water.”They are also entrusted to pay that money to NamWater offices every end of the month.But they are not receiving anything from NamWater,” told the National Council last week.As a result, he said, NamWater had disconnected some water points because the communities has ran into arrears.But Minister Iyambo said his Ministry was already contributing to the rural water supply and had paid N$17,8 million towards this in the 2006/2007 financial year.He said water committee members were also well aware that they are allowed to charge an overhead from the water-point users.This charge, he said, must however be agreed upon by the water users and not decided by committee members themselves.”Money collected is expected to be used for committees operation tasks, including transport to go and pay the bill at NamWater offices,” he said. The Community-Based Management of Rural Water Supply (CBM) strategy was introduced by the Ministry in 1997.Iyambo said the management of water points by communities themselves created an environment conducive to economic activities by community members.He said livestock farming, brick making and gardening are some of the activities many communities are benefiting from today.