The Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Kaire Mbuende, says it is crucial to ensure that capital projects budgeted for are effectively and timely implemented to ensure tangible benefit to the people.

Speaking during the Oshana Region stakeholders engagement on capital projects for the 2026/2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, Dr Mbuende says while Namibia continues to maintain relatively strong financial execution of the development budget nationally, implementation remains a challenge.

This is attributed to lengthy procurement processes, inadequate project preparation, limited project management capacity, poor coordination among

implementing institutions and insufficient monitoring of project performance.

Those challenges, he says, delay service delivery and reduce the impact of public investment.

"It is therefore encouraging that this engagement focuses not only on planning future projects but also on strengthening implementation. Development planning does not end with budget allocation. Success is measured by completed infrastructure, improved services and positive socio-economic outcomes for our communities."

He says the National Planning Commission is making efforts to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, improve coordination across the government, and promote greater accountability in the implementation of capital projects. 

It will further strengthen working relations with all stakeholders to improve reporting mechanisms and ensure that development investments achieve their intended results.

Effective implementation requires stronger collaboration between central government institutions, Regional Councils, Local Authorities and all implementing agencies. Development projects cannot be implemented in isolation. Regular communication, timely reporting and joint problem-solving are essential to identify implementation bottlenecks early and resolve them before they affect project delivery."