Erongo Governor, Neville Andre Itope, has called for collaborative efforts between municipalities and town councils with stakeholders in the region to enable development.
Itope, who was speaking in Swakopmund at the launch of the DRC Informal Settlement Electrification Project on Thursday, said this will allow for an accelerated shared effort of bringing services to the people.
Nine houses have so far been electrified through an investment of N.dollars 28 million from the Swakopmund Municipality for electricity infrastructure in the informal settlement, which was then donated to Erongo RED to ensure connection.
The electricity distributor committed N.dollars 1.5 million to the project.
“Access to modern energy services remains a prerequisite for sustainable development. While there is still a lot that must be done to bring these services to the people, we should applaud ourselves as a nation for the good progress made in electrification,” he said.
The governor highlighted how developments such as the electrification project can be achieved when government agencies, private sector partners and citizens unite behind a common purpose.
“With national development policies such as the sixth National Development Plan and Harambee Prosperity Plan II, the Namibian Government aims to expand electricity supply infrastructure to rural and peri-urban areas to improve the socio-economic conditions of Namibian citizens and to create the necessary environment for enhancing the quality of life.”
Erongo RED Chief Executive Officer, Tino !Hanabeb, at the same occasion echoed the governor’s sentiments, stating that this project would not have been possible without Erongo RED’s collaboration with the Swakopmund Municipality.
“Electricity is a necessity and ought to be found in every village, suburb and every town in our region. I strongly believe that the electrification of DRC is a symbol of the progress we are making in bringing services to the people, and we are not going to stop here. As long as funds are available, we are determined to do our best to bring these services to our communities,” he noted.
Home owners were expected to pay a once-off connection fee of N.dollars 2 500 for a prepaid electricity connection.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency