Namibia-China work plan to boost community empowerment and investment

The Khomas region and the Jiangsu Foreign Affairs Office in China have signed a work plan agreement which will focus on six exchange programmes for the next five years.

The agreement will boost community empowerment and investment in Namibia, among others.

Speaking at the signing event in Windhoek on Monday, Khomas governor Laura McLeod Katjirua said the partnership will focus on areas such as sectoral partnership, scholarships and bursary programmes, student and youth exchange programmes, policy makers and staff exchange programmes, trade and investment promotion, and community empowerment programmes.

The Chinese delegation, which includes the deputy governor of the Jiangsu provincial government, Ma Xin, is currently in Namibia for the twinning partnership.

She said the partnership aims to recognise the impact of the existing cooperation between the two countries, based on equality and mutual benefits, to promote two-way exchange.

“I am delighted that the five-year work plan is aimed at targetting priority areas of our operations such as sectoral partnership. It is from the heights of this joy and happiness for this resounding success that l proudly confirm that our partnership is growing and it can still become stronger to benefit all needy Khomas residents and improve our chain of service delivery if all sectors see their roles and act accordingly,” she said.

“It is based on this understanding that l urge all leading agents to our existing sectoral partnership in the field of health, education, sports, community development, trade and investment to make the fruits of their ties of partnership more visible, alive and tangible to motivate others to emulate and to see the strength of this partnership,” she added.

“I do not want to be seen and heard as a song on the lips of the policy makers because we have done our part properly and fairly. We dug the well, we made the water accessible and consumable to the present and future generations, and it is now up to these generations to put these selfless sacrifices to good use and to keep this wheel moving in the right direction,” she said.

The work plan comes as a result of a memorandum of understanding signed on 19 June 2015 between the Khomas region and the Jiangsu Province, and another one with the Khomas Regional Council in 2023.

Chairperson of the Khomas regional council, Shaalukeni John Moonde said the work plan will strengthen existing ties between the Khomas region and Jiangsu Province.

He said it is also a demonstration of a long-standing and progressive bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two countries.

“We are delighted to cement this partnership by means of signing this work plan and indeed to enrich the existing relations between our institutions and equally our two countries,” he said.

“I am confident that this work plan will take our partnership yet another significant step forward and enable our institutions to yield tangible results. I look forward to the successful implementation of our work plan,” he added.