Finance Minister proposes training levy for employers

MINISTER of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has proposed introducing a training levy on employers, to ensure they contribute to skills development in Namibia.

The Minister lashed out at those she said were making use of every opportunity to discredit the principles of Government’s affirmative-action policy when she spoke in the National Assembly on Tuesday. “The unfortunate consequences of this attitude is that the Namibian public may be discouraged to support this important policy with the result that our country may continue to experience the negative effects of its ugly past for many years into the future with all the negative consequences,” she said.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said it was even more “worrisome” when the negative attitudes towards affirmative action came from those in leadership positions such as parliamentarians.She said Government had to reconsider the time limit for the validity of work permits for expatriates, and force employers to explain how they plan to address the situation which gave rise to the import of labour and their arrangements for skills transfer.”The time has also come for us to implement a training levy so that all employers can make [an] equitable contribution to the development of skills which we all benefit from.This may enable us to significantly improve the skills levels and by so doing boost empowerment efforts,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.She was speaking on a motion introduced by the Congress of Democrats’ Ben Ulenga that affirmative action had not achieved its intended aims.”Some colleagues seem anxious to have the affirmative-action policy phased out and are uninterested whether or not the transformation that we were seeking to achieve with it was achieved or not,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.The Finance Minister said she disagreed with those who argued that the affirmative-action policy was being used to promote political favouritism and said the public service reflected the political diversity of the country.”Some honourable members who cast these aspersions are themselves beneficiaries of affirmative action and others are former employees of the State under its general employment scheme, never mind the fact that they have not been members of the ruling party,” said the Minister.”The allegations that public-sector employment is a privilege reserved for Swapo members or any specific ethnic group are thus false.”Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said it was also untrue that people appointed on the basis of affirmative action were naturally under-qualified and thus unsuitable for the position.She said there were numerous examples of previously disadvantaged people who had excelled in their fields.While acknowledging that the public sector still required capacity building, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said its “tremendous achievements” had resulted in the level of development achieved since Independence.She said had the public service not employed these successful people, they would still be on the fringes of the country’s socio-economic activities because of the bias of the labour market and society as a whole.”The unfortunate consequences of this attitude is that the Namibian public may be discouraged to support this important policy with the result that our country may continue to experience the negative effects of its ugly past for many years into the future with all the negative consequences,” she said.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said it was even more “worrisome” when the negative attitudes towards affirmative action came from those in leadership positions such as parliamentarians.She said Government had to reconsider the time limit for the validity of work permits for expatriates, and force employers to explain how they plan to address the situation which gave rise to the import of labour and their arrangements for skills transfer.”The time has also come for us to implement a training levy so that all employers can make [an] equitable contribution to the development of skills which we all benefit from.This may enable us to significantly improve the skills levels and by so doing boost empowerment efforts,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.She was speaking on a motion introduced by the Congress of Democrats’ Ben Ulenga that affirmative action had not achieved its intended aims.”Some colleagues seem anxious to have the affirmative-action policy phased out and are uninterested whether or not the transformation that we were seeking to achieve with it was achieved or not,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.The Finance Minister said she disagreed with those who argued that the affirmative-action policy was being used to promote political favouritism and said the public service reflected the political diversity of the country.”Some honourable members who cast these aspersions are themselves beneficiaries of affirmative action and others are former employees of the State under its general employment scheme, never mind the fact that they have not been members of the ruling party,” said the Minister.”The allegations that public-sector employment is a privilege reserved for Swapo members or any specific ethnic group are thus false.”Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said it was also untrue that people appointed on the basis of affirmative action were naturally under-qualified and thus unsuitable for the position.She said there were numerous examples of previously disadvantaged people who had excelled in their fields.While acknowledging that the public sector still required capacity building, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said its “tremendous achievements” had resulted in the level of development achieved since Independence.She said had the public service not employed these successful people, they would still be on the fringes of the country’s socio-economic activities because of the bias of the labour market and society as a whole.