President Hage Geingob has called on the private sector to play a leading role in reducing the country’s high youth and unskilled unemployment rates.
In his Workers Day message delivered on Sunday, Geingob emphasized that the government alone cannot address the issue, and thus the private sector must play a major role in job creation.
“The private sector must be a major driving force in reducing unemployment, which is an important pillar in the fight against poverty,” he said.
Geingob also stressed the importance of dialogue and collaboration in addressing the challenges faced by the country.
“You can never go wrong with dialogue and consultation…let us guard against any issue that could threaten peace and at no point should we take for granted the peace and stability we enjoy. May Day is also a fitting occasion for us to hold hands and remind ourselves about the efforts we should undertake to improve, through hard work, the living conditions of each and every Namibian,” he said.
The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation recently revealed that Namibia’s unemployment rate has risen to 46%, making it the sixth country globally with the highest rate of youth unemployment.
The government is working on developing the third National Employment Policy (NEP) to address the issue.
In addition, Geingob called on private and trade unions to start preparing workers for the changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence.
“As the world is rapidly changing, and with it the future of work, through the intensification of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence, more demands are placed on Namibian workers to retool and reskill. I urge the private sector and trade unions to accompany the Namibian Government in preparing workers for the future of work,” he said.
Geingob has previously warned that Namibia will align its laws with global best practices to ensure the interests of workers are protected during the implementation of 4IR.
