Equitable funding…

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has called for adequate and equitable government support to local authorities, warning that insufficient funding undermines their ability to deliver services to communities.

“Where there is no subsidy, or insufficient subsidy, we are setting you up for failure. We must therefore find solutions to these challenges so that we do not fail the Namibian people who have voted for you,” he stressed.
Ngurare was responding to concerns raised by the Association of Local Authorities of Namibia (ALAN) during a meeting held on 11 November 2026 in Swakopmund, where the association appealed for urgent government intervention to address challenges affecting local authorities.

ALAN President and nayor of Ongwediva, Naemi Amuthenu, called for the association to be legally recognised by government. She also highlighted inadequate government subsidies, limited funding, the need for medical aid and pension benefits for councillors and low sitting allowances.

Other concerns included unequal government subsidies among local authorities, outstanding pension debts owed to pension funds, debts owed to NamWater and inadequate Road Fund Administration support for road infrastructure development.

Ngurare questioned the unequal distribution of resources, noting that all local authorities serve communities under the same government and should receive fair and equitable support.

He also urged councillors to put aside their differences and prioritise service delivery, calling on them to communicate their needs to government so that practical solutions can be developed to accelerate service delivery to the people.

Photo: OPM

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