The Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veiko Nekundi, says the government remains committed to ensuring that improved road infrastructure continues to enjoy priority both in urban and rural areas.

Nekundi was on a weeklong visit to the Ohangwena Region, where he assessed the construction of various roads in the Okongo, Omundaungilo, Oshikunde, and Ohangwena constituencies, as well as those that needed to be budgeted for.

The deputy minister says demands for better roads remain high despite government interventions over the years.

Nekundi's last stop was at the five-kilometre Ohangwena-Omhedi road leading to Omhedi Palace.

The road is being upgraded from gravel to a low-volume seal at a cost of N$10 million.

He also paid Ohamba yOukwanyama Christian Nelumbu a visit to brief her on his findings.

“Our communities are unable to reach important government services, and we have just to see how fast we can implement what is important, which is that, despite limited resources and competing important needs, we have allocated some funds to start with road construction in the Ohangwena Region.”

Nekundi has appealed to those still waiting for the betterment of road networks in their areas to be patient, affirming the government's commitment to deliver.

“The distance is very, very massive; you can't compare it to many other countries around the world, and the cost of constructing bitumen roads, be it gravel roads, is very costly. A normal gravel road will cost you about four million per kilometre, and for bitumen, it will cost you N$9 million per kilometre, and if you add calvets and bridges, it can go up to N$14 million. However, since independence, our government has been committed to bringing road infrastructure to our people across all 121 constituencies. Our commitment is there.”

Nekundi also made a stopover at Natis offices to understand the challenges they face in the hope of addressing them.