10 Mar 2021

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Eric Molale, says government is worried about the ageing infrastructure in cities, towns and major villages mostly constructed over 20 years ago.

Presenting his ministry’s budget for 2021/22 financial year, he said the 2008 global economic crisis made it difficult to cope with the requisite cyclic maintenance.

“It should be noted that the provision of infrastructure has the potential to increase productivity in key sectors that drive economic recovery and transformation thereby contributing to employment creation,” he said.

Therefore, he said the ministry’s plan was to engage key stakeholders in both the public and private sector with proposals to embark on the renewal of the infrastructure.

For this proposal to be complete, he said the programme would have to include user fees for cost recovery measures to ensure its sustainability.

The minister explained that he had embarked on revamping his ministry’s strategic plan inspired by Vision 2036 guided by the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’.

He said the plan would put his ministry on track towards achieving the transformation plan and Vision 2036.

Mr Molale said the ministry had to be re-organised to fit its purpose of driving rural development including installing organisational performance monitoring and evaluation.

He further said the ministry had to start phase one of the decentralisation process saying the intention was to develop and implement a local government digital transformation strategy and plan for efficient service delivery.

Mr Molale said the ministry would also play a leading role in building resilient and sustainable local economies through the local economic development strategy.

Furthermore, he said the ministry would also provide efficient services and municipal infrastructure as well as provide inclusive and responsive and adaptive social protection services.

Meanwhile the minister proposed a budget of over P8.5 billion of which P7.1 billion was for recurrent and P1.4billion earmarked for development. ENDS