RUNDU – Kavango East Regional Governor, Dr Samuel Mbambo has appealed to Kavango residents and to the entire Namibian nation to open its doors and provide accurate information to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) field staff to enable them to produce reliable data for development.
Mbambo made the appeal last week on Friday when he launched the 2018 Namibia Labour Force Survey (NLFS) which will be conducted countrywide.
This will be the fifth of its kind to be conducted by NSA since its establishment in April 2012.
“Let us open our doors but make sure you are opening the door for the right people and give them accurate information,” Mbambo exhorted prospective NSA respondents in Kavango East.
He underlined the fact that statistics are vital to regional development since they inform decision making to improve the quality of life of our communities, as the region or regions are tasked with the implementation of government projects such as NDP5, Vision 2030 and Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP). Statistical information he said becomes even more critical because implementers are expected to embrace the data driven decision making at all times.
“Without current and reliable statistical information, you will not know where the region is headed to in terms of development and as a result we shall never know where we have arrived to the set regional objectives and targets, therefore all communities in the Kavango East Region and all the regions who will partake in this survey are being encouraged to provide accurate data,” he said.
“The collected data will enable the NSA to provide information to our development practitioners and higher-level decision making bodies to make better decisions and predictions at regional and national level towards improving the welfare of Namibian people and this is in line with vision 2030. The NSA informed us that unemployment rate in our region currently stands at 39.46 percent that is according to the 2016 labour force report, that is our biggest challenge at our regional level, to see what policy interventions are required to reduce such high unemployment,” Mbambo continued.
Further he said is evident that the population has grown and this has thus called for the regional leadership to relook at the regional planning to ensure that government resources are allocated to those who need them most and to ensure that employment is created, hence the need for current statistics to advance regional planning.
“This is also a testimony that statistics are dynamic with time, therefore regional planning should be adjusted accordingly. We cannot over emphasise the importance of having close to real time data for national and regional development. I am therefore happy that the NSA takes the provision of quality, relevant, reliable and timely data seriously and continue to conduct the annual labour force survey,” stated the governor.
Mbombo says it’s important that NSA receive good cooperation and participation from all. “Let me take this opportunity to applaud the agency for choosing Kavango East Region to be the host of this launch, it means a lot to us and we appreciate it and be free to move around to conduct your survey because I am certain the community will welcome the team as usual in the region and its people supports the development efforts and projects.”
Countrywide the survey has employed 461 field staff, will use 171 vehicles at an estimated budget of N$26.3 Million.