WINDHOEK – To date the National Planning Commission (NPC) has raised N$2.5 billion in the form of grants and concessional loan financing of N$386 million, in addition to receiving technical assistance from development partners.
Dr Albert Kawana, Minister of Presidential Affairs revealed this during his budget motivation for the NPC in the National Assembly last week. The NPC requested N$233 749 million to ensure that the country’s national development plans are carried out. During the previous financial year the NPC undertook several activities, including a comprehensive analysis and review of the global and domestic economy. Kawana said this culminated in the compilation of the Annual Economic Development Report, which highlights Namibia’s average economic growth since independence. Other research projects the NPC undertook were poverty mapping, logistics, energy, an impact study of the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment Creation and Economic Growth (TIPEEG), as well as an analysis of the skills gap in the labour market. The NPC is also assisting the regions to develop regional development profiles, which include features and characteristics of the region, and contain information such as population, poverty levels, economic activities, potential areas of investment, social and economic infrastructure among other visibilities that will guide regional planning and equitable national distribution of public resources. One of the programmes that Kawana motivated is macro-economic planning that requires an amount of N$15.6 million, which will help produce an economic development report, four research papers and 11 policy briefs as part of the implementation of the 4th National Development Plan (NDP4).
That budget if approved would also bankroll activities such as the mid-term review of both Vision 2030 and NDP4, as well as convening a national consultative conference to discuss current developmental issues. The second programme which involves regional and sectoral planning and policy coordination will require N$16.5 million for the completion of regional development profiles. Also, an amount of N$31.8 million is requested for the third programme that will cover monitoring, evaluation and the coordination of development aid from partner countries and institutions. The fourth programme which involves supervision, coordination and support services, requires an amount of N$167.7 million. Kawana explained that the programme would include rendering human resources management and development functions such as auxiliary, financial management, maintenance and the safekeeping of a computerised information system and public relations.
By Albertina Nakale