Namibia’s ambitions to achieve high-income status by 2030, as set out in the long-term development framework Vision 2030, are facing serious challenges, Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Kaire Mbuende, has warned.
Mbuende said the recent reclassification of Namibia’s economy from Upper-Middle Income to Lower-Middle Income underscored the need for more inclusive and sustainable development strategies.
He noted that although the country had experienced economic growth in recent years, this had not always translated into meaningful social progress.
According to him, poverty, unemployment and inequality remain at unacceptably high levels, reflecting persistent gaps in access to opportunities and social protections.
“The recent reclassification of our economy from Upper-Middle Income to Lower-Middle Income status is a sobering reminder that our journey is fraught with challenges. Economic growth has not always translated into inclusive social development, with poverty, unemployment, and inequality persisting at unacceptably high levels,” Mbuende said.
He emphasised that true prosperity required more than GDP growth.
“It requires that workers earn decent wages, households live above the poverty line, and disadvantaged groups receive strong social support,” he said. “Without these measures, growth alone cannot deliver the benefits Namibians aspire to under Vision 2030.”
Mbuende called for renewed focus on both economic transformation and social inclusivity. He said government needed to strengthen infrastructure, develop human capital, and support sectors that could generate employment and income.
Achieving these goals, he added, would be critical to reducing inequality, improving livelihoods, and ensuring that economic growth delivers tangible benefits.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the new National Planning Commission commissioners, who have officially begun their mandate to provide strategic policy guidance.
Commissioners are appointed by the President for a three-year term, which may be renewed, under the National Planning Commission Act of 2013. Their appointments are formally published in the Government Gazette.
