The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform has said the decentralisation of critical services to regional councils will promote efficiency and accountability, address communication gaps, and accelerate decision-making.

Inge Zaamwani said this at the handover of delegated functions to 14 regional councils.

 The ministry has now delegated the Directorate of Agriculture Production, Extension and Engineering Services.

These functions include extension services for crop and livestock production; advisory services; generic services; and administrative support services. 

A decentralisation task force has been appointed to monitor and guide the implementation of the functions.

"I hope that as we decentralise, we do so with all the necessary equipment to enable our extension workers to effectively operate in the field. Of course, it's one thing to send the officers to the region, and they don't empower them with the necessary equipment in case of transport for them to be able to go out and provide and render the services that are necessary."

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, demanded that all regional councils provide a report on audits, shortfalls and achievements in the last five years and how they intend to roll out decentralised functions.

"I talked about personal expenditures, materials, whatever, even on the decentralised functions. How did you perform them? so that we know how we are going to perform these ones. This should be done before the 15th of November."

Otjozondjupa Regional Governor John ||Khamuseb welcomed the decentralisation of the functions.

"This handover is not simply about shifting administrative responsibilities; it is about empowering our Regional Council to make decisions that directly respond to the needs and the priorities of our people."

The decentralised function agreement was entered into between the ministers, chief regional officers and chairpersons of the management.