Natural Growth Will Not Be Sufficient For Namibians

By:Fransina Nghidengwa
The Director General of the National Planning Commission Obeth Kandjoze says the sixth National Development Plan will be delayed.
According to the Kandjoze, Cabinet advised concentrating efforts on prioritising Harambee Prosperity Plan 2 programmes and the unfinished business of the NDP5, which itself has been delayed to the 2023\24 to 2024\25 financial years, whilst NDP6 is being developed.
NDP5’s main goals and objectives involve achieving an inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth, building capable and healthy human resources, ensuring a sustainable environment and enhancing resilience and to promote good governance through effective institutions.
The Director General said government realised that natural growth will not be sufficient to address Namibia’s ambitions and improve the standard of living of Namibians.
He further said Namibia adopted planning to direct the course of national development.
“Through the national development plans, the country sets its vision, goalsand objectives, and devises strategies to actualise the national development process. Additionally, national development plans are means to mobilise Namibia’s factors of production namely, human, capital, land, and entrepreneurship to produce goods and services for the betterment of the people of Namibia,” he explained.
“Guided by our political principals, under the leadership of the National Planning Commission, Namibia developed its long-term perspective development plan – Vision 2030, and consecutive national development plans”, he further said.
The latest national development plan is the fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) which covers the period 2017/18 to 2021/22 financial years.
Kandjoze said efforts will be underway in the new financial year 2023/24 to review NDP5 to supplement the findings and recommendations of the Vision 2030 review.
“In the NDP5 period, the world and Namibia experienced economic turmoil stemming from recurring droughts, collapse in commodity prices and foreign direct investments, and so forth. The effects of these factors have impacted so much on the small open economy with consequential impacts on the available public and private resources and took back the economy five to seven years back.”
Kandjoze pointed out that government undertook a comprehensive study on sustainability and inclusive prosperity for Namibia.
With the study supplemented by other studies and initiatives by other ministries and agencies, he said government will formulate an Economic Recovery and Resilience Strategy to underpin the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
“I would like to call upon all stakeholders, as this year is the year of reimaging, to concentrate our efforts by achieving more with fewer resources at our disposal,” he said.
He said that the National Planning Commission is finalising the (midterm) review of Vision 2030 documenting the achievements, challenges, and recommendations across thematic areas and sectors for future consideration and efforts will be underway in the new financial year 2023/24 to review NDP5 to supplement the findings and recommendations of Vision 2030 review.