Progress on economic equity slow, says PM

Only 29% of top management positions in Namibia’s private enterprises are occupied by previously disadvantaged persons as of 2016, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said Friday night.Speaking at a gala dinner held by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said despite progress made in reducing income inequalities on a macro-level, various disparities still remain.“Unfortunately the progress in achieving economic equity in Namibia is slow,” she said.Apart from the highly skewed occupational distribution between the previously advantaged and disadvantaged, the numbers remained stagnant and in some cases had even regressed, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.“It is therefore important that we act to ensure that the affirmative action measures yield the desired outcomes,” she said.Kuugongelwa-Amdhila said the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act, Act 29 of 1998, was created to achieve equal opportunity in employment and to eliminate employment barriers that have kept some members of the society out of a job. It merely seeks to ensure progress towards a more diverse and representative workforce that is reflective of the demographics of Namibia at all occupational levels, she said.NEEEFOn the New Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF), the Prime Minister told guests that her office had reviewed the input from the public. She is currently busy preparing a submission to Cabinet to seek guidance on the way forward.“Naturally there will be room for further public consultations and as we have indicated in the past we can make adjustments where we are convinced that this adjustment can add value. But we would stick to the position that there would have to be a transformation of the economy.”On his part, guest speaker from Kenya, Professor Patrick Lumumba warned that although the empowerment and equity bill would be a good thing, it might create opportunities only for tenderpreneurs, if not supervised properly.“You must do it in such a manner that it addresses the historically disadvantaged people whether they are black, women or persons with disabilities so that it can change the circumstances of Namibia,” Lumumba said. - Nampa

Progress on economic equity slow, says PM

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