Walvis Bay prioritises land provision in N$887m budget
The Walvis Bay Municipality has tabled a capital budget of N$887 million for the 2024/2025 financial year, with most of it allocated for land developmental projects.
N$173 million (38%) of the budget, consisting of continuation and new capital projects, was allocated for land development projects.
Speaking at the budget announcement recently at the Kuisebmond Municipal Chambers, the Walvis Bay Municipal Council Management Committee Chairperson, Richard Hoaeb, asserted the Council’s pledge towards land provision for the town’s residents.
“I can assure you that the Council remains steadfast in its commitment to land delivery, which serves as a cornerstone for investment, prosperity, and job creation. In alignment with our objectives and public-private partnership initiatives, I am pleased to share with you a list of ongoing land development projects undertaken by the Council of Walvis Bay. These projects are crucial for driving economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for our community,” Hoaeb said.
From the above total land development budget, N$11.1 million was budgeted for Farm 37 (Main), N$21.8 million for Portion 11 and N$22.8 million for Portion 10.
Portions 10 and 11 of Farm 37 will yield 727 erven, of which 677 are residential.
N$48 million was budgeted for the development of Narravile Extension 8 and is expected to yield 225 erven, of which 194 erven are residential.
N$10 million has been budgeted for the development of Meersig Extension 3 and is expected to yield about 96 erven, of which 86 are residential.
Deputy Mayor of Walvis Bay, Saara Mutondoka, said that the new budget continues to demonstrate the Council’s determination to improve service delivery to the residents of Walvis Bay.
“The budget is our town’s primary policy document. It reflects the Council’s priorities and states many of the Council’s goals and objectives in enhancing the quality of life for all our residents. I would also like to thank the staff members of the Municipality of Walvis Bay who worked hard this year to compile budget reports. Your commitment is admirable,” Mutondoka said.
The rest of the capital budget includes N$ N$42 million (8%) allocated for service delivery-related projects, while N$104 million (23%) is for infrastructure repair and replacement, N$35 million (8%) is for social projects, and N$91.5 million (20%) is for vehicle replacements and additions.
Expected revenue for the new financial year is estimated at N$566 million, while expected Expenditure has also been recorded at N$566 million.
About 70% of estimated revenue is from utility and related service charges. The primary services are water sales, property rates and taxes, refuse removal, and sanitation.
Tariff adjustments on these items were proposed for this financial year. Considering the average annual inflation of 5% and the anticipated increase in service provider tariffs, the utility services tariff has been proposed as 5% for water and 2.5% for sewerage, refuse, rates, and taxes.