The National Planning Commission (NPC) hosted the official signing ceremony for a new development cooperation grant today between Namibia and China.
On behalf of the Namibian government, the Director General of the NPC, Dr Kaire Mbuende, thanked China for a grant that totals N$486 million.
The money will fund projects that will make a quick and visible difference in communities across the country.
Dr Mbuende says the goal is to improve people's lives and speed up work on projects that create jobs and better living conditions.
"Through this agreement, we shall expand provisions for school infrastructures, health care services, and community services, such as water provisions. The concept embodied in the design of this support is to have impactful projects implemented, especially those that address the development needs. We shall therefore improve school hostels and clinics in remote areas and drill boreholes, supporting community projects, to name but a few. These are impactful interventions in critical areas of community infrastructure, water supply, social services, local economic development, climate resilience, agriculture, and youth empowerment."
He also explained that the projects supported under this agreement are guided by the priorities, targets and the results framework of NDP6 and monitored through the principles embodied in the corresponding implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan.
This approach, he says, will then ensure that every project financed under this facility contributes meaningfully to national development objectives and delivers measurable benefits to the citizens.
The Ambassador of China to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, reaffirmed China's ties with Namibia.
"And this new grant is also our latest step. It is also the latest step we have adopted to implement the outcomes of the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. We are very pleased that over the years, we have undertaken a series of projects here in the media. And I'm sure we are going to implement more projects to benefit the Namibian people. I believe with our joint efforts, our bilateral relations will be strengthened constantly, and that will bring even greater tangible benefits to our two peoples."
The NPC is working closely with the embassy of China, relevant offices, ministries and agencies, regional councils, local authorities and other stakeholders that will lead and coordinate their identification, appraisal, prioritisation and implementation of projects to be supported under this grant facility.