KATIMA MULILO - Bank of Namibia deputy governor Ebson Uanguta says Namibia will need a fit-for-purpose public service, adding economic development can be severely hampered by the absence of an able and capable public service.
Uanguta made the remarks yesterday during the public lecture on the 2023 Africa Public Service Day celebrations underway in Katima Mulilo.
The theme of celebrating Africa Public Service Day this year is ‘The African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA] will require a fit for purpose African Public Administration’.
Various government ministries, office and agencies are showcasing their services and products as part of the celebrations being held at the Katima Mulilo Unam campus.
He stressed the role and importance of public service and public servants in an economy cannot be overstated.
“It is an undisputable fact that public service is the gateway and engine of a country’s pathway to development. There is not a single country in the world that can claim to have been able to develop its economy, deliver quality services to its people and or improve the living standards of its people without a capable public service,” he maintained.
Anti-Corruption of Namibia (ACC) head of public education and corruption prevention, Marina Matundu suggested public servants should have proper and systematic guidelines within their work places.
“If the public servants are not adhering, they should be taken to task. I believe there is still hope for ethical conduct. It is a calling when you are in the public service. So there is still hope,” Matundu believes.
Uanguta pointed out Namibia, like many other economies on the continent, continues to grapple with significant economic challenges.
“Balancing the various competing interests facing us and charting our way out of these challenging economic times, in a manner that broadly uplifts our society and improves the living standards of our people, will require a fit-for-purpose public administration,” he advised.
“We need to ensure that we step up, do all that is necessary to make Namibia an economic success story and avert the natural resources curse that has befallen many oil producing economies that did not set appropriate public policies and did not sufficiently prepare their public services among others to weather the storms associated with being an oil producing economy,” he noted.
According to him, the public service can assist to unlock these significant economic opportunities.
These are setting appropriate public policies, delivery of public infrastructure, and provision of efficient public services.
Further, he mentioned Namibia can derive greater benefits from utilisation of regional and continental economic platforms.