Youth hope for job creation focus in tomorrow’s budget

NAMIBIA’S youth hope to see their development, particularly in terms of job creation, addressed when the 2009/10 National Budget is presented later today.

Mandela Kapere, Secretary General of the National Youth Council, says the Council is hoping for a budget that will adequately address the global economic crisis through increasing investment in infrastructure and public works, with the youth directly benefiting from jobs created by this investment.He told The Namibian that the NYC would want to see the fast-tracking of public works including roads, schools, rural housing and sanitation, adding that infrastructure projects should be given to Namibians and black-owned companies, creating jobs for urban and rural youth.’During consultations with the Cabinet committee on the budget, we said that we want to see the budget focus on infrastructure and economic development, with less spending on things that don’t bring value for future development,’ said Kapere.He added that the NYC wants Government to review spending in unprofitable areas, citing Air Namibia, which is seeking a N$180 million bailout, as an example.’We need serious national dialogue on whether we should continue pumping money into projects that are not viable,’ he said.In terms of job creation, the NYC has been a proponent of youth entrepreneurship, and Kapere said Government would need to look at increasing capitalisation for youth businesses to between N$50 million and N$100 million in order to create any real national impact.The NYC’s Credit for Youth in Business (CYB) currently works with a N$5 million budget, and Kapere said this would need to be increased for a sustainable effect. He noted that the Government would be injecting N$8 million into the Namibia Youth Credit Scheme this year.Kapere also said that the youth are eager to see a budget that brings value to youth development in a more holistic way, noting that Finance Minister, Sara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, had indicated that the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) would be recapitalised with N$200 million.He said, however, that ‘there is often the perception that as long as money is being allocated to education, everything is fine. But this is a problematic perception because we need a fuller sense of educational purpose, which would include a social dimension, sports, academia, improving the National Youth Service, etc.’He cautioned that a portion of the billions annually allocated to education should be effectively invested in increasing and improving the capacity of institutions to absorb enough young people each year.The NYC recently called for the issue of youth home ownership to be addressed on a national level. Asked whether the Council held any expectations of the budget in this regard, Kapere said: ‘I’m not optimistic that money will come from the Government on the (youth) housing side, but there is a need to look at the existing policies for young people to become homeowners.’ nangula@namibia.com.na