WINDHOEK – The Swapo Party says it has a sound economic management record that is acknowledged internationally by way of credit ratings and has maintained prudent fiscal policies, which resulted in a strong government balance sheet.
This, according to the party’s manifesto launched on Saturday, has resulted in a strong increase in government revenue from N$10.6 billion in the 2002/2003 financial year to N$38 billion in the 2012/2013 financial year, which has been possible due to an enabling environment.
“[There is an] increased contribution by the fisheries sector to GDP. Fisheries employment was estimated at 14 823 in 2013, which presents an increase of 22 percent from the 12.1 percent estimated in 2012,” reads the manifesto.
The ruling party says it has a sound track record and despite a global economic slowdown in 2010, the Namibian economy was able to grow above 4 percent that year.
Among other achievements, the Swapo Party asserts, was the creation of the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA), development of a public-private partnership (PPP), introduction of a training levy to promote skills development, increased funding to vocational and specialized training institutions and provision of incentives to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“Significantly reducing poverty levels from 70 percent in 1993 to 28 percent in 2011, lifted close to 400 000 people out of poverty between 1993 and 2010,” reads the manifesto.
This has been done though intensification of education and training programmes, SME promotion, skills development and continued support to vulnerable groups, among others.
According to the ruling party, through employment creation initiatives, employment growth has been facilitated to 298 650 people between 2008 and 2013.
Promises
The Swapo Party promises to build 1 480 kilometres of bitumen standard roads and 3 206.8 kilometres of gravel roads during the next five years.
To benefit are the Onhuno road (Eenhana), Ongwediva-Ondangwa-Omuthiya dual carriage road, Okahandja-Otjozondu-Okondjatu bitumen road, Windhoek-Hosea Kutako dual carriage road, Windhoek-Rehoboth dual carriage road, the Rehoboth-Mariental and Grunau-Keemanshoop-Mariental roads, the Walvis Bay dual carriage road behind the sand dunes and rehabilitation of the Swakopmund-Henties Bay-Kamanjab road.
On the social justice front, Swapo Party has assured to acquire 417 000 hectares of land each year for the next six years until 2020 to reach the 2.5 million hectares of land under the National Resettlement Programme and will continue to encourage the willing buyer-willing seller principle.
“During the past 24 years, the Swapo Party government acquired and redistributed almost 2.5 million hectares of commercial agricultural land to about 5007 formerly disadvantaged Namibians (43 percent female and 57 percent male,” says the manifesto, adding that it has to date spent N$900 million on land acquisition.
On gender equality, the ruling party said it is in consultation with faith-based organisations and civil society to run some of the houses of safety that cater for victims/survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in eight regions, while more shelters are to be built in the other six regions.