Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Geingob has on Thursday afternoon during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) announced that more recruits are needed to respond to the challenges of unemployment the country faces.
“The Namibia Correctional Services has commenced the process of recruiting 300 new intakes, while the Namibian Police will recruit an additional 1,000 intakes in 2023, which will significantly relieve the human resource constraints being experienced in the police force. Furthermore, the Namibia Defense Force has recruited 1,470 intakes during 2022 and has made provision to recruit an additional 1,500 new intakes for the year 2023” Said Geingob
Geingob further said that the country will continue to implement the SME financing strategy as a vehicle to stimulate economic growth and employment creation, citing that the temporary employment was created for 4,519 people through the Namibia Agriculture Mechanization and Seed Implement Programme (NAMSIP).
“Consequently, an amount of 40 million Namibian Dollars was applied for through commercial banks by the end of September 2022. The Development Bank of Namibia approved 13.3 million Namibian Dollars to support six sectors, sustaining 35 SMEs and creating 247 jobs across nine regions. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises transferred 8.5 million Namibian Dollars to the Development Bank of Namibia to roll out the Mentorship and Coaching Programme” he added
The president further indicated that Government launched an application as a central repository for micro, small and medium enterprises to list their goods and services, and encourage digitalization, in which to date, he said, 791 small businesses are listed on the database.
Geingob reassured Namibians that this year the Ministries of Mines & Energy, and Industrialization & Trade, will conduct feasibility studies to explore the possibility of using low-cost renewable energy from the envisaged hydrogen industry, with the objective of creating a green manufacturing hub anchored by gigawatt installations (1000 Mega Watts).
“Using our abundant renewable energy as a means of establishing local industry will require the right mix of incentives and an attractive investment ecosystem. The Ministry of Finance, the Namibia Investment Promotion & Development Board and the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade will finalize the ‘Impactful Investments Incentive Scheme’ before the end of this Year” the president said.
The head of state further said that this scheme is critical to diversifying the country’s economy, unlocking more private sector investments and creating gainful employment opportunities. He added that the Namibia Investment Promotion & Development Board is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to formulate a targeted Golden VISA programme to incentivise and attract investors with skills, capital and ambitions to set up businesses and residency in Namibia.
