Dr. Emma Haiyambo, Director of Research and Financial Sector Development and Chief Economist at the Bank of Namibia has suggested a raft of policy interventions that could lead to rural development in Namibia.
Addressing delegates at the Bank of Namibia’s 24th annual symposium on the transformation of the rural economy in Namibia, Haiyambo highlighted that to tackle the issue of overlapping policies and poor coordination of rural policies, Namibia must introduce a Rural Development Act.
She went on to say that Namibia should invest in infrastructure development like rural road upgrading, affordable rural electrification, and access to financial services.
“The Namibian Government and internet providers should promote the use of the internet to benefit entrepreneurship activities in rural areas, through skills development. Namibia should also increase agricultural productivity by increasing access to feed for livestock. Further, the Government should continue relying on joint work with national universities and other agricultural research centers to expand domestic innovation and access to improved seeds for more crops.
“The Namibian government will need to boost conservancy-based tourism as a catalyst for rural economic growth, through the involvement of local government structures in partnership with community actors,” said Haiyambo as part of policy recommendation to boost rural development.
She also went on to say that the Government needs to reform land tenure in the country to enable rural communities to retain some control over land use for security purposes and that the Rural Development Centres should be used as a catalyst for rural development to become rural technology hubs.
Echoing these views, Bank of Namibia Governor, Johannes Gawaxab said that unlocking the potential of rural Namibia will require a new legislative framework.
“The land tenure system is a prohibitive factor contributing adversely to citizens and businesses alike, especially not exploiting the full potential of communal areas where the majority of Namibians live,” said.
He went on to say that access to financing through converting title deeds into some form of tradable leasehold, which may unlock funding, is required.
“This, in turn, can boost agricultural productivity and tourism activities in communal areas. Furthermore, a recent study conducted by the Bank of Namibia has revealed that acquiring property in Namibia is a complex and challenging process.
“There are various obstacles related to costs, regulations, and procedures that make the overall process extremely inefficient. The process is also fragmented, expensive, and time-consuming, which can be a burden for potential buyers, investors, and other market participants. The Bank, in its advisory role, will soon be calling a stakeholder workshop with all players with the aim of ensuring the process is streamlined and recommendations are actioned in the shortest possible time,” he said.