Africa-Press – Namibia. PRESIDENT Hage Geingob advised Cabinet members to prioritise the ever-increasing needs and demands of the Namibian people, who elected them, despite the country’s limited resources.
“As representatives of the sovereigns of the Republic of Namibia, we should never forget that we are keepers of public trust. We have been placed here to serve the interests of the people and therefore we must ensure that meeting the needs of the people should be our first, last and only priority,” the President stated at the Cabinet Bi-Annual Performance Review.
Geingob said the goal of the Review, which is a follow-up to the Cabinet Retreat that was held in 2020, is to examine the country’s progress in terms of the objectives outlined in the Second Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPPII).
According to Geingob, Namibia has experienced a number of challenges over the years that have hindered economic recovery and growth. He listed the global economic meltdown, the relentless droughts and the Covid-19 pandemic as some of the factors that deterred the country’s economic advancement. He also mentioned that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to negatively impact the global economy.
“We are informed by experts that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, as an independent intervening variable, has started to negatively impact the global economic fundamentals as already witnessed in record high petroleum prices, as well as envisaged global shortages in fertilizers, grain and wheat supplies,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, the President urged Cabinet to strive to effect change by strengthening governance architecture and reimaging the country’s socio-economic development trajectory.
He further stated that it is imperative to boost productivity and innovation in the public sector as the country is faced with limited resources. Furthermore, he emphasised the need to eliminate corruption and its manifestations in order to improve the effective and efficient delivery of public good.
President Geingob also emphasised his intention to create a more accountable and transparent governance framework. He stated that he is confident that the government’s efforts over the years, which were aimed at deepening public trust, has steered the government in the right direction and he also expressed his pride regarding the country’s free media environment.
According to the President, the country also made progress on the Southern Corridor Development Initiative, which was spurred on by global interest in developing the green hydrogen industry and its by-products. However, he stated that detailed planning, stakeholder engagements and executions are key at this point in order to progress.
The President acknowledged that much work still remains with regards to the realisation of Vision 2030 objectives. He also advised Ministers to implement projects under their portfolios, which are contained within the 5th National Development Plan (NDP5) and the HPPII without delay.
“You must prioritize those projects and at the end of the day, come back and report 100 percent execution rate,” the President advised.
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