Rural development should be run locally: Hakaye

CONSTITUENCY Development Committees (CDCs) are better placed to come up with development projects and can best implement them, a Swapo MP in the National Council said yesterday.

Therefore, Jhonny Hakaye, the Councillor for Okalongo constituency in the Omusati Region, wants the Ministry of Local and Regional Government, Housing and Rural Development to provide funds to CDCs for such purposes. He was speaking during debate on a report of the National Council Standing Committee on Regional Development on its visit to the Otjozondjupa and Erongo regions.”I strongly believe that Constituency Development Committees will be in a better position to come up with projects they can best implement and can claim ownership of,” said Hakaye.This is one of the recommendations contained in the report.Hakaye also called for a revival of the reports that regional councils used to submit to the National Council for discussion, which no longer happens.He said these reports would not only improve regional allocations but would also improve budgetary allocations to line Ministries significantly.”I just cannot understand why we cannot just do that, if we were able to do so when regional councils’ supporting staff was almost non-existent,” Hakaye told the House of Review.On health and education, the Swapo MP said although the Government was spending a lot of money on these sectors, it appears much was still to be done, as these sectors were not improving to the desired levels.He proposed that strong and specific recommendations be made to improve dilapidated health facilities in those regions visited.He was speaking during debate on a report of the National Council Standing Committee on Regional Development on its visit to the Otjozondjupa and Erongo regions.”I strongly believe that Constituency Development Committees will be in a better position to come up with projects they can best implement and can claim ownership of,” said Hakaye.This is one of the recommendations contained in the report.Hakaye also called for a revival of the reports that regional councils used to submit to the National Council for discussion, which no longer happens.He said these reports would not only improve regional allocations but would also improve budgetary allocations to line Ministries significantly.”I just cannot understand why we cannot just do that, if we were able to do so when regional councils’ supporting staff was almost non-existent,” Hakaye told the House of Review.On health and education, the Swapo MP said although the Government was spending a lot of money on these sectors, it appears much was still to be done, as these sectors were not improving to the desired levels.He proposed that strong and specific recommendations be made to improve dilapidated health facilities in those regions visited.