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This year, we are tasked with the revival of our nation – President Geingob

This year, we are tasked with the revival of our nation – President Geingob

The President, HE Dr Hage Geingob said on Tuesday that in 2023, the nation is tasked with the process of revival  due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, “we have been forced to curtail our goals and strategies in an attempt to consolidate our fiscal stability.”

President Geingob said this during the first Cabinet meeting of 2023, where he declared this year as ‘The Year of Revival’. He said it is a New Year, stressing that with every New Year comes new challenges and opportunities.

“In front of us lies a clean page on which we can shape the future, having learned from the past. I am sure you have reflected on your performance during the Year 2022, identified where you achieved success, and pinpointed the areas where you could have done better,” Geingob said at his Cabinet meeting.

Geingob also called on the nation to carry out our work with renewed hope and optimism as we take our country towards a promising future.

He added: “We are tasked with the revival of our nation. I have often said a leader is a dreamer. As a dreamer, one envisions a future filled with opportunities and successes.

Now, as the sight of green shoots on the horizon brings the promise of a new dawn of optimism, each one of us, from an individual and collective perspective, must endeavour to revive our fortunes and bring about the economic resurgence of Namibia.”

Moreover, the president pointed out that the nation needs to reignite its condition, strength, and fortunes. The ultimate priority in 2023 should be to do our utmost best to enhance our competitiveness in all areas, meaning within our governance, macroeconomic and social architectures, he proposed.

During the Cabinet meeting, Geingob noted that the government must deliver as we have been entrusted with the responsibility of fighting poverty, and unemployment and bringing about economic emancipation. He added that achieving these objectives should not be a question of if but of when.

“We are here to serve the interests of the people, and therefore we must ensure that meeting the needs of the people should be our only priority. Being a member of Cabinet should never be about advancing personal interests or those of family, friends or associates,” he stated.

The president also expressed ample confidence in the government’s efforts over the past several years, directed toward ensuring public trust is steering them in the right direction and will continue to do so.

However, he added that the nation should be encouraged by how far we have progressed. “As we prepare to revive our fortunes, our focus should turn to specific areas that will require our attention in the medium to long term periods. As I said, there are green shoots of recovery in several sectors of our economy.”

“Let us take advantage of these opportunities by developing new ideas that may reinvigorate our economy, create jobs, and open new horizons for sustained growth and innovation,” he said.

The president also revealed that the government is making good progress on the Southern Corridor Development Initiative, spurred on by global interest in developing Green hydrogen and its derivatives in the area. However, he said that, at this critical stage, meticulous planning and execution are key to fully unlocking this opportunity as envisioned.

Meanwhile, Geingob said he intends to call a broader consultative meeting of various stakeholders in the education sector, including Cabinet Ministers, Governors, Executive Directors, Regional Directors of Education, youth and youth organisations, education experts, members from academia, and international experts.

“This meeting will discuss the state of our education and deliberate on ways to improve performance across the board within the sector,” he explained.

“Moving forward, we must all take collective responsibility in advancing our developmental agenda as a nation. We must therefore think out of the box and formulate new ideas with the potential for transformative change,” the president said.


 

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