EU follow single development strategy

The European Union and its member states represented in Namibia, together with the Namibian government will present their Joint Response strategy for Namibia 2014-2017 on 8 May at the EU Residence, in Windhoek.
The Joint EU Response Strategy aims to enhance the effectiveness of European Development Cooperation by providing a single framework to guide all European development partners’ support to Namibia.
The joint programming started with an analysis of Namibia’s fourth National Development Plan by the EU and its Member States and was followed by consultations and a policy dialogue involving the government and civil society organisations to work out a joint and coherent response by the EU and Member States.
The Joint EU Response Strategy for Namibia has been developed as a single strategy to guide all European development partner’s support to Namibia. It has been prepared through a policy dialogue with the government and in close consultations with civil society. “By acting together under a single framework,pulling in the same direction and eliminating gaps and overlaps,we stand to increase our impact and to achieve more than the sum of our parts” the EU Delegation said this week.

“Transparency and predictability of EU support will also improve, thereby increasing accountability and lowering transaction costs. Finally, the joint approach will provide better value for money for each development partner, enabling a more efficient and effective use of taxpayers’ resources on the ground.”
In total, European Development Partners have planned to provide more then N$3.5 billion in grant funding between now and the end of NDP4. In addition, loans may be offered by European financial institutions, mainly for large infrastructure investments and private sector development.
In addition, presently ongoing development cooperation programmes financed by European Development Partners and European financial institutions have a value of approximately N$5.6 billion.