… As NASRIA boosts regional governors with N$25m
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has made a passionate plea for deliberate prioritization of economic development at regional levels through procurement exemptions to benefit local industries and curb informal settlements in urban areas.
Ngurare said government procurement should prioritize local producers and businesses before looking beyond regions for goods and services, arguing that public institutions should help create markets for local industries.
“If there is a secondary school in Mpungu constituency, there is no logic to source chicken or eggs or bread, to come outside that particular area,” Ngurare said.
Ngurare was speaking at the N$25 million cheque handover by Namibia Special Risks Insurance Association (NASRIA) towards regional economic development in Windhoek on Thursday.
The occasion was attended by regional governors countrywide.
Finance minister Ericah Shafudah said the NASRIA donation was in response to empowering regional governors to implement small but impactful projects with potential to address the needs of their respective communities.
She also added that governors were asked to identify projects that respond to the needs of their communities.
Ngurare said government had deliberately sought to empower regional structures with resources to respond more effectively to the needs of communities.
“It is against this background that I requested the minister of finance to explore ways to empower the governors’ offices with financial resources in order to respond to the needs of the people countrywide,” Ngurare said.
Ngurare echoed President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s sentiments when she gave a directive that each region must have a factory unique to what it supplies.
He said each of the 14 regions will have a manufacturing plant unique to what it produces.
The Prime Minister also highlighted a water-related processing project in Gibeon, noting the area’s access to water.
“Because Gibeon has good water,” he said.
He further cited a watermelon processing project in Kavango East and a tomato sauce processing project in the Omusati Region as examples of initiatives aimed at adding value to products within the regions where they are produced.
Ngurare said progress was also being made on development initiatives in other regions, with government seeking to ensure that regional economic potential is translated into productive activity.
Ngurare also implored the regional governors to focus on initiatives that respond to real needs, that can be implemented effectively and have potential to create lasting environmental and economic benefits.
“As government, we must continue to be deliberate in our intervention and decisive on our quest for tangible impact,” he added.
Ngurare further emphasized that development should be judged by its impact on people’s lives, noting that the N$25m donation comes with both opportunity and responsibility.
