Namibia’s penultimate National Development Plan before realising Vision 2030 goals and objectives will be extended for two years to enable completion.
Namibia will launch the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) formulation process this year, which will be characterised by wider consultations of all stakeholders.
“At the same time, this will mark the end of the Global Sustainable Development Goals. The completion of these development frameworks will usher us into other long-term planning cycles,” said National Planning Commission director general, Obeth Kandjoze yesterday during a press conference on the approved commencement of NDP6 and the implementation of the second Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPPII).
The DG added Cabinet directed NDP6 to be developed and cover the period 2024/25 to 2030/31 financial years and for HPPII programmes and projects to be accelerated and finally to extend NDP5 for two years to enable completion of its programmes and projects.
Notwithstanding the economic recovery experienced starting in 2021 going forward, the DG said government has come to the realisation that this natural growth will not be sufficient to address Namibia’s ambitions and ultimately improve the standard of living of Namibians.
To this extent, he noted, government, under the leadership of NPC, in collaboration with the ministry of finance, Bank of Namibia, Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade including the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, assisted by Harvard University, undertook a comprehensive study on sustainable and inclusive prosperity for Namibia.
With this study, supplemented by other studies and initiatives by other ministries and agencies, government is expected to formulate an Economic Recovery and Resilience Strategy to underpin the NDP6.
Additionally, NPC is finalising the mid-term review of Vision 2030, documenting its achievements, challenges, and recommendations across thematic areas and sectors for future consideration. 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.
According to Kandjoze, Namibia adopted planning to direct the course of national development. Through the national development plans, the country sets its vision, goals, objectives, and devises strategies to actualise the national development process.
Additionally, national development plans, he said, are means to mobilise Namibia’s factors of production, namely, human capital, land, and entrepreneurship to produce goods and services for the betterment of Namibians.
At the same event, Peya Mushelenga, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology explained that national development plans are important vehicles for any government as these are the blueprints that spell out actions government is going to undertake in terms of vision, goals, targets, and objectives.
“It highlights the successes and failures of the previous NDP period so that we see where we went wrong and how to improve. We also have the HPP, which is another equally important document that has five pillars against spelling out government priorities, plans, and programmes,” said Mushelenga.
Minister in the Presidency Christine //Hoebes, who motivated the budget last week in the National Assembly, said NPC was allocated N$921 146 000 for the 2023/24 financial year to be utilised to implement key activities.
She added NDP6 is the last national development plan towards realising Vision 2030 goals. -mndjavera@nepc.com.na
Caption: Carryover… National Planning Commission director general Obeth Kandjoze.
Photo: Contributed