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Swakopmund council prioritizes infrastructure as N$685 million budget tabled for 2023/2024 financial year

Swakopmund council prioritizes infrastructure as N$685 million budget tabled for 2023/2024 financial year

By Adolf Kaure.

The chairperson of the Swakopmund town council management committee, Wilfried Groenewald tabled a N$685 million budget for the 2023/2024 financial year.

The operational budget amounts to N$527 million while N$185 million has been allocated to capital expenditure.

From the capital expenditure budget, the town council’s budgetary priorities include infrastructural upgrading of roads (22%), infrastructural upgrading: waste water (14%), infrastructural upgrading: water (12%).

Commenting on the allocations and the council’s priorities, Groenewald said “Looking even further down the road, this next financial year we will spend N$79 million on infrastructure projects, the bulk of which will go to upgrading and expanding water and sanitation infrastructure across our town.”

“We are investing to get ahead and stay ahead as we gear up for the Swakopmund of the future. We will not allow the decay and neglect that has gripped so many other towns and cities in Namibia to take hold in Swakopmund. At the same time, we are very mindful of the economic pressures felt by all our ratepayers, particularly in lower-income houses.”

Other projects that have been earmarked from the operational budget are buildings (11%), vehicles (11%), services of land – future erven (10%) and future land development (7%).

“The balancing act in the budget between the needs of vulnreable residents, the scale and scope of future planning, and economic pressure on ratepayers, is one of the toughest challenges to solve.”

“It is both a progressive budget in its pro-poor focus, and a proactive budget that looks and plans far ahead. We want to show that with responsible fiscal management and a clear long-term vision, long term development and sustainability is possible.”

“Council remains positive to deliver better basic services for underpriviledged people, so that more of our fellow residents can live in dignity at the same time,” he said.

The budget was allocated in terms of the Local Authorities Act.

The vision of Swakopmund town council is to be a smart city of opportunities that creates an enabling environment for economic growth and to aid those who need it most, to deliver quality services to all residents and to serve the citizens of Swakopmund as a well-governed administration.

The infrastructural upgrade of roads takes the bulk of the Swakopmund town council’s capital expenditure budget for the 2023/2024 financial year. (Photograph by Adolf Kaure)


 

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