Planning commission pushes for mandatory data-sharing mechanisms

National Planning Commission (NPC) director general Kaire Mbuende calls for urgent reforms to strengthen Namibia’s statistical system, warning that weak data-sharing practices across the government continue to undermine evidence-based planning.

Speaking at the NPC’s annual general meeting with the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) board in Windhoek on Thursday, Mbuende said credible, timely and transparent statistics remain central to national development, but data remains scattered across ministries and agencies.

He said the current absence of clear mechanisms for transferring administrative data to the NSA hampers not only the agency’s work but also the ability of planners and policymakers to make informed decisions.

“There is a glaring gap in the transfer and sharing of administrative data generated by various government entities. Without accurate and accessible data, our ability to plan, monitor and evaluate government programmes is severely constrained,” he said.

Mbuende recounted a recent incident in which he was asked to provide statistics on employment created since the new administration took office. He added that the exercise proved extremely difficult due to fragmented record-keeping across sectors.

“This fragmentation must be addressed. We need a system that centralises employment monitoring and reporting,” he said, adding that other countries publish labour market indicators quarterly, a practice Namibia could adopt through improved administrative records or more frequent surveys.

The meeting also reviewed progress on major statistical exercises, including the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the Financial Inclusion Survey and the Census of Agriculture.

Mbuende further singled out the agriculture census as especially critical, saying it is key to understanding food security, rural development, production systems and land use.

“We must work together to secure sustainable financing for this and other core surveys,” he said.

He further welcomed discussions on the national housing information system and ongoing geospatial projects, including the request to gazette agro-ecological zones and carrying capacity maps.

“These products must be finalised, endorsed and placed in the public domain to support national development planning and resource management,” Mbuende said.

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