Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) president Mike Kavekotora has said his party appreciates the efforts by government in fighting Covid-19 and using the budget as part of the ammunition in its arsenal to fight the pandemic. By yesterday, the country had 29 confirmed cases, 16 recoveries and 13 active cases. However, Kavekotora said the pandemic should not be used as an excuse to address the economic challenges that citizens are facing before and during the outbreak of Covid-19.
“Our economy is facing serious structural challenges that the government over the years failed to address,” Kavekotora said while contributing to the budget debate in parliament last week. He said government has failed to develop structures and incentives that promote the private sector’s growth and the enrichment of ordinary Namibians through the creation of sustainable jobs.
“What one observes instead is government continued self-enrichment tactics and predominantly catering for the interest of the elite and the politically connected,” said Kavekotora. According to him, the immense potential in the agriculture sector has not been fully realised; thus, Namibia continues to be a net importer of food, a scenario that poses a serious threat to the nation and limit the country’s industrialisation potential.
He said after 30 years of independence, the country still has a red line that effectively excludes many farmers north of the veterinary cordon fence from participating fully in the agriculture sector. “I am somehow glad that Honourable Calle Schlettwein has been appointed as minister of agriculture and land reform to clean up the mess he and the late Honourable Hans Stier created at the Agribank,” he said.
He also said the country’s mineral resources have not been optimally applied to the benefit of ordinary Namibians. “I am doubting whether the extractive industry in its current form is generating optimal revenue for the state,” Kavekotora expressed. Kavekotora also said the country’s education system has failed to produce the required skills and competencies to support economic growth, especially in the manufacturing sectors.
“The government must understand that high-value manufacturing depends on developing basic manufacturing skills and complementing them with relevant education, research and vocational training institutions,” he said.
– ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na