African Peer Review Mechanism:
An independent preliminary
assessment of Namibia
March, 2006
OUTLINE
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Terms of Reference
Democracy & Good Political Governance
Economic Governance and Management
Corporate Governance
Socio-economic Development
Conclusion
Terms of Reference
• To assess Namibia’s status against the four
APRM focus areas
• To review Namibia’s adoption of policies,
standards and practices identified by NEPAD.
• To provide necessary information to the
Namibian government, that might encourage it
to participate in the APRM initiative.
Method
• A combination of desk study and interviews with
relevant stakeholders or informed key people in
respective sectors.
• It was common for interviewees not to want their
opinions to be quoted or they were reluctant to
offer it altogether in some cases.
• Use of evidence from existing reports
Democracy & Good Political
Governance
• Main objective of the APRM
• The key to successful economic, corporate and
socio-economic governance
A Guaranteed Framework of Equal
Citizen Rights
• Potential as a democratic state
• Held four democratic elections
• NSHR 2005 Report – improvement in civil &
political rights
• Delay in decentralisation process
Institutions of Representative &
Accountable Government
• The Public Service Act & Commission
• Transparency International Corruption
Perception Index – 4.1 in 2004 to 4.3 in 2005
• Anti-Corruption Commission
A Vibrant Civil Society
• Women in decision making positions at political level –
34.7%
• Namibia MDG Report, 2004 – only a third of higher
level positions are held by women
• Gender Empowerment Measure – 0.572 in 2004 to
0.603 in 2005
• Child Status Bill and the Children Care and Protection
Bill
• Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program
• Government efforts towards vulnerable groups
• 90% of persons with disability still unemployed
ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE AND
MANAGEMENT
• Good Economic Governance includes
transparency in Financial management
• Essential Prerequisite for promoting growth,
reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable
development
Sound Macroeconomic Policies
• Inflation rate (11.3% in 2002 to 3.9% in 2004)
• Total debt to GDP ratio (31.6% in 2004)
• Agricultural (5.3% in 1999 to 4.6% in 2003).
Manufacturing (10.4 in 1999 to 11.1 in 2003)
• Unemployment – stands at over 30%
Sound Management of Public
Finances
• medium-term fiscal framework (2001)
• Medium Term Expenditure Framework - 3-year
rolling budget- revenue & exp forecasting
• Budget debate
• Accessibility of budget documents
Fighting Corruption and Money
Laundering
• N$ 650 (2003) - N$ 11.1 mill.(2004)
• Know Your Customer Policy
• Financial Intelligence Bill
Acceleration of Regional
Integration
• SADC, SACU & CMA
• Namibia is performing in line with SADC
macroeconomic targets – SADC inflation rate
target for 2012 is set at 5%
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
• Good corporate governance provides a level of
disclosure and transparency regarding the
conduct of corporations and their boards and
directors
Institutional Players
• Commercial enterprises: Public & Private Listed
Corporations, State-owned enterprises
• Banks & Microfinance institutions
• Non-Banking Financial Institutions
Ensure that corporations act as
good corporate citizens
• Addresses the adherence to Labour obligations,
social responsibility and matters relating to the
environment
• Labour Act 15 of 2004
• Safe working environment – NamDeb
• Corporate Social Responsibility projects –
NamDeb Social Fund & Sanlam Education &
Training
Adoption of codes of good
business ethics
• Combating White Collar Crime through the
banking Institutions Act
• The Media’s involvement in exposing such
crimes
Accountability of corporations,
directors and officers
• Disclosure of Information – Generally Accepted
Accounting Practice
• BoN is trying to enforce information disclosure
among banking institutions
Socioeconomic Development
• Implies the continuous improvement in the wellbeing and standard of living of the people
• The Namibian government is committed to the
above
Self-Sustaining Development
• National Development Strategies – NDPs,
Poverty Reduction Strategy, Vision 2030
• Strategies formulated through a process of
shared visions and national dialogue
Accelerating Socio-economic
Development
• Affirmative Action Policy
• Adoption of the Millennium Declaration in 2001
• Universal primary education – 2006 target 95%,
92% enrolled in 2003
• Lack of reliable data on poverty makes it difficult
to assess its progress
Strengthening Policies, Delivery
Mechanisms and Outcomes in key
Social Areas
• Budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education
continues to increase
• Campaigns against HIV/AIDS has increased
• National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS
Affordable Access to Services for
All
• Water and Sanitation Policy – 1993
• Department of Rural Water Supply in the MAWF
• Exploration and Exploitation of energy sources
in a sustainable way
Broad-based participation in
development by all stakeholders
• The Agenda for Change allows CSOs to
participate in development policy debates
• Civil Society Organisations involvement in
formulation of National Budget encouraged
Conclusion
• Namibia has adopted most of the standards and
codes required by NEPAD
• Various Policies, regulations and institutions are
in place to promote the goals of NEPAD
• Stable Political environment
• Favourable macroeconomic environment
Challenges
• Ensuring broad-based economic growth while
attempting to address historic inequalities
• Lack of adequate objective information to assess
the impact of policies and frameworks
• Implementation of policies and programs
Benefits of Acceding to APRM
• Positive assessment should Namibia accede to
APRM
• Positive impact – advertise Namibia to
development partners and investors and assist
government in strengthening the capacity to
implement principles the country has subscribed
to