The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, says the growth of local businesses and their ability to effectively participate in trade at local, continental, and international levels depend on a favourable environment established by governments to foster business development.

The Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Natalia |Goagoses visited the bereaved family of the late Councillor of Usakos and Deputy Mayor Aletta Katiti Sem.

PDM Councillor Sem died on Sunday after complaining of chest pain during a church service.

The government continues to support initiatives to deliver housing to low-income earners.

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development handed over 33 houses to the Shack Dwellers Federation in Windhoek's Okahandja Park.

The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, says public policy documents are not confidential and should be made available to the public.

Mutorwa was speaking at Nkurenkuru when he handed over the ministry's maintenance functions to the Kavango West Regional Council.

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development held its fourth decentralization consultative forum with key stakeholders in the capital.

Minister, Erastus Uutoni, reminded the stakeholders that bringing services closer to the grassroots level remains one of the government's top priorities.

The Namibia Statistics Agency and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development have launched the pilot Namibian Housing Information System.

The aim of the system is to make housing and land data readily available in the country.