Agronomic Board checks performance

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry signed a Governance and Performance agreement with state-owned entity, the Namibian Agronomic Board to facilitate the performance expectations and objectives of both the Board and the Ministry. The signing is the first of its kind to take place.
In terms of Section 18 of the State-Owned Enterprises Governance Act, No.2 of 2006, the minister is required to enter into a Performance Agreement with each Board with regard to any directives laid down by the State-Owned Enterprises Council. All board members have to sign this agreement. The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry as the line ministry, represented government at the signing ceremony held in the presence of all the Board members as well as the ministry’s staff. The purpose of the Performance Agreement is to communicate to the Board members the performance expectations of the minister.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Hon. John Mutorwa said the agreement is to monitor and measure performance against set expectations. “The signing of the agreement is a manifestation of our good relation with the common goal of striving towards the targets set in the fourth National Development Plan and ultimately attaining the nation’s Vision 2030,” said Mutorwa.
The conditions contained in the agreement require the members of the Board to, amongst others, act
honestly in the performance of their duties and exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence. Mutorwa however pointed out that the agreement does not intend to interfere in any way with the normal common law principles that preserve the relationship between the minister and the Board.
“In other words, the agreement is intended to narrow the expectation gap between the minister and the Board,” the minister pointed out.
He said the Board’s Strategic Plan, which forms part of the agreement, is not cast in stone for the five-year period but that the Board should on an annual basis review the plan and make corrective changes to it.
The minister applauded the Board for assisting the ministry in compiling the agreement that includes annexes which support the Business Plan and Strategic Plan, saying that without a performance agreement, it would be impossible to measure performance.
Namibian Agronomic Board Chairman, Kobus van Graan assured the minister that the agreements will be carried out diligently as per the directives laid down by the State-Owned Enterprises  Council.