Swapo parliamentarian Willem Amutenya says state-owned enterprises (SOEs) must deliver on their mandate or stand aside.

Amutenya said this on Wednesday during a debate on the appropriation bill tabled by finance minister Ericah Shafudah on Tuesday.

Shafudah stated that the government recorded low execution rates of capital projections totalling N$826.4 million.

"It is high time we stop carrying underperforming SOEs that keep betraying the hopes of the people and unemployed youth.

"We must draw a line to SOEs, and they must perform or make way," he said.

Amutenya said the more than 2 000 vacant positions in the education and health sectors must be filled without delay, and bureaucratic red tape must not be allowed.

This follows allocations of N$814 million for the education sector and N$185 million for the health sector.

Amutenya warned parliamentarians that shifting the calendar to review the appropriation bill will only delay the allocation of much-needed funds for the health and education sectors.

He added that the review is a lifeline and requires urgency to pass it without delay.

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