The nation must feed itself, declares Nujoma

NAMIBIA must aim at becoming self-reliant in food production so as to feed its own people, President Sam Nujoma has told Namibians in his annually televised New Year message.

Any country that depended on others for food would always lag

behind in its socio-economic development, the President counselled

viewers.

He pledged that in 2004 Namibia would continue to pursue its

principles of economic diplomacy which he said was the core of

Namibia's foreign policy.

 

Nujoma said Namibia would strengthen its efforts to promote

trade, to secure investments and to strive for favourable

conditions to market its products to other countries within the

Southern African Development Community (SADC) and to other parts of

the world.

 

He called on SADC member countries to promote and maintain peace

and security in the entire region, with flow-on effects to Africa

as a whole.

 

In reflecting on Namibia's achievements in 2003, President

Nujoma emphasised landmark pieces of legislation which he said

would have a positive impact on Namibian society .

 

The President specified in this context the Anti-corruption

Bill, Geneva Conventions Bill, Teachers Education College Bill and

Agriculture (Commercial) Land Reform Amendment Bill.

 

Nujoma said his Government had pushed for collective agreement

on minimum wages in the agricultural sector, had issued a White

Paper on Namibia's foreign policy, implemented a national HIV-AIDS

policy for the education sector and introduced a programme on

Access to Tertiary Institutions for the Visually Impaired.

 

Other important policy decisions made included the

implementation of the land tax on commercial agricultural land, the

envisaged establishment of a pharmaceutical plant in Namibia, and

the launching of the Green Scheme.

 

With regard to law enforcement, President Nujoma expressed

Government's happiness with the major victories scored by the

Namibian Police in its fight against crime by arresting scores of

criminals and foiling criminal plots that could have undermined the

generation of wealth and the people's march towards

prosperity.

 

He pledged that in 2004 Namibia would continue to pursue its

principles of economic diplomacy which he said was the core of

Namibia's foreign policy. Nujoma said Namibia would strengthen its

efforts to promote trade, to secure investments and to strive for

favourable conditions to market its products to other countries

within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and to

other parts of the world. He called on SADC member countries to

promote and maintain peace and security in the entire region, with

flow-on effects to Africa as a whole. In reflecting on Namibia's

achievements in 2003, President Nujoma emphasised landmark pieces

of legislation which he said would have a positive impact on

Namibian society . The President specified in this context the

Anti-corruption Bill, Geneva Conventions Bill, Teachers Education

College Bill and Agriculture (Commercial) Land Reform Amendment

Bill. Nujoma said his Government had pushed for collective

agreement on minimum wages in the agricultural sector, had issued a

White Paper on Namibia's foreign policy, implemented a national

HIV-AIDS policy for the education sector and introduced a programme

on Access to Tertiary Institutions for the Visually Impaired. Other

important policy decisions made included the implementation of the

land tax on commercial agricultural land, the envisaged

establishment of a pharmaceutical plant in Namibia, and the

launching of the Green Scheme. With regard to law enforcement,

President Nujoma expressed Government's happiness with the major

victories scored by the Namibian Police in its fight against crime

by arresting scores of criminals and foiling criminal plots that

could have undermined the generation of wealth and the people's

march towards prosperity.

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