…Says Growing The GDP Is Not Enough To Create Jobs
By: Hileni Inane
Labour minister Utoni Nujoma says economic activities by the government include employment creation as an important objective because the youth is losing hope for a better future.
Nujoma said this during the employment creation retreat by the labour ministry on Monday.
“The major economic initiatives announced by the government include employment creation as an important objective. This is in recognition of the fact that most of our people do not enjoy a decent standard of living and that many, particularly the youth, are losing hope for a better future,” he said.
According to him, amidst the professed drive for socio-economic development and employment creation, it is apparent that there is not a good understanding of the complexity of employment creation of its human resource development imperatives.
“Or of the link between employment creation and macroeconomic policy, fiscal, monetary and trade policies,” he said.
He expressed that some Namibian role players even persist in the mistaken belief that “growing” GDP, including through foreign direct investment, will automatically produce employment.
“That is not enough. We must rather achieve a common understanding of the need to plan for employment creation consciously and concretely in all economic endeavors,” said Nujoma.
At the event, he added that the ministry must advocate and succeed to secure the adoption by the cabinet of a mindset and policy that places employment creation at the center of national socio-economic development.
This, he said, will include approval of the requirements of employment-centered budgeting and employment impact assessment, adding that the ministry will need to unpack the facets of employment creation.
“This will include recognition of the linkages and need for coordination, for purposes of employment creation, of macro-economic policy, industrial policy, sectoral policies, financial policy, urban and rural development, trade policy, same development strategies, public-private partnerships,
the informal economy, relevant education and training, local value chains and markets, extension of “affordable” credit, and increased productivity.”
He revealed that the ministry has begun the development of Namibia’s third national employment policy (NEP) and its implementation plan, and this process has been approved by the cabinet.
The NEP will provide the overall framework for our employment creation
initiatives.
“We must approach the development of the third national employment
policy and plan in a new way with higher visibility and high-level involvement,” said Nujoma.
He added that the ministry must also prioritise the development of NIEIS as the central database for job matching and identification of Namibians with requisite skills.
“This would include making employment impact assessment available, ensuring that NIEIS is utilised, including to identify persons with requisite skills, advising on labor-intensive methods where appropriate, advising on local supply chain support, facilitating apprenticeships and leadership.”
Nujoma further said the ministry is facilitating discussions between ILO experts and those persons in the green hydrogen cluster responsible
for employment.
“The ILO has indicated that would be prepared to include Namibia in
an ILO pilot project to introduce “green skills” programs in vocational training institutions,” he said.
He concluded that the ministry should also prioritise the creation of employment and decent work for those who are unemployed, underemployed, or working in low-paying jobs, including youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
“This will require innovation. We should not shy away from seizing the opportunities offered by digitalisation and the fourth industrial revolution.”
