Pohamba pushes for less red tape

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has demanded less red tape in Government and faster administrative processes, friendlier and more efficient service from all public institutions when dealing with the public and cooperation with the private sector to decrease unemployment.

Addressing permanent secretaries at State House yesterday, the Head of State said as competition for scarce foreign direct investment increased, Namibia was challenged to offer faster, better and more efficient services in all sectors.
‘We would like to see that, from our points of entry and public offices, to our accommodation establishments, civil servants are committed and capable to provide services that are second to none.
This is the only way we can make Namibia more competitive and attractive to investors. It is also the best strategy to enable us fast-track the process of social and economic transformation of our society.
‘Our nation stands at a critical juncture, where effective leadership must be provided at all levels as we address the development challenges which include the ongoing negotiations towards the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the search for new electricity generation options, the search for new markets for our products and other economic development issues.
‘Namibians must search deeper to find ways in which we can improve and strengthen our country’s competitiveness, both regionally and internationally. The EPA negotiations present our country with a set of challenges in the short and the long term. This is because of the vast economic implications that are inherent in these negotiations for our country,’ he added.
This challenge should inspire policy-makers and administrators to consider different options that are available to Namibia to realise its competitive advantage and potential to harness natural resources to benefit the nation.
‘We must work harder to create opportunities for value addition to our natural resources and to attract investors and tourists to Namibia.
‘This means eliminating bureaucratic red tape in our public institutions, faster processes in handling requests for information from the public and friendlier frontline staff in all public institutions. It means ensuring the availability of modern services that are required by investors and Namibia’s trading partners.
‘There are many priority areas where urgent Government action is needed. These include the challenges of unemployment, poverty reduction, broader economic empowerment of our people, the development of the SME sector, education, healthcare, provision of water, housing, food production and the problem of informal settlements in our cities and towns.
‘We all agree that it has become one of the greatest challenges facing our nation today. It is, therefore, imperative that all public institutions work hand-in-hand with a view to creating a co-ordinated response to this challenge. Our Government should continue to engage fully with the private sector in order to co-ordinate an effective national response to unemployment,’ Pohamba urged.
Public procurement should be used as a core strategy to address unemployment through the creation of new jobs, the retention of existing jobs and creation of opportunities for the SMEs sector to grow, expand and join the mainstream economy.
This would mean speedy implementation of [Government] capital projects as they generated much-needed job opportunities and brought vital infrastructure necessary for socio-economic development.
Pohamba said he was concerned that many delays and bottlenecks were still being experienced with public tender procedures.
‘I call on all of you to ensure that capital projects are executed on time and within budget. As members of the Tender Board, you must take this matter up and propose effective solutions,’ he told the permanent secretaries.
Many concerns had also been raised about the delay in payments by public institutions to suppliers for services rendered to Government.
‘This situation creates cash-flow problems, especially for SMEs. It must be addressed in line with the Public Service Charters and the Strategic Plans that your respective institutions have adopted,’ the President added.