Development Cooperation Agreements signed –
Hon. Obeth Kandjoze, Director General of the National Planning Commission, and His Excellency Herbert Beck, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, signed two Government Agreements on Financial Cooperation and Technical Cooperation between Germany and Namibia on 21st April 2022. The Agreements were concluded following Negotiations on Development Cooperation between the two countries in 2021.
These two agreements cover eight new programs to the value of 40.5 million Euro (currently about 650 million NAD), financing projects on Technical and Vocational Education and Training, promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the establishment of a Sustainable Financing Mechanism for Namibia’s Protected Areas, establishment of an Urban Development Fund, Sustainable Urban Mobility Windhoek, Green People’s Energy, and Sustainable Use of Namibia’s Mineral Potential.
Namibian-German development cooperation is a central component of the relations between Namibia and Germany. Since Namibia’s independence, Germany has supported the Namibian Government in its development efforts.
To date, German development cooperation with Namibia – governmental and non-governmental programs – amounts to more than 1.2 billion Euros. In per-capita terms, Namibia is thus the largest recipient of German development cooperation in Africa.
At the last round of bilateral development negotiations, Namibia and Germany agreed on new grants and loans in the amount of 242 million euros (approximate 4 billion NAD). The areas of cooperation consist of
- Private Sector and Financial System Development
- Vocational Education and Training
- Natural Resource Management
- Water Infrastructure
- Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Development
- Renewable Energy Infrastructure
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which has been domesticated in the national developmental frameworks such as NDP5 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan II, form part of the backbone for structuring the Namibian-German development cooperation. The priority areas are fully in line with contributing to the Harambee Prosperity Plan II. The emphasis is on a quality-driven transformation process in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive development and to reach the common goal of overcoming poverty and inequality by supporting job creation, particularly targeting the youth.
Namibian-German development cooperation is based on agreements between the two countries, which are concluded during negotiations between the two governments every two years. In the scope of these negotiations, strategies for future cooperation are developed together. The next round of negotiations on development cooperation will be held in 2023. Namibia – German cooperation has yielded positive results and has contributed to Namibia’s quest of achieving its national aspirations such as employment creation and poverty reduction.
Some of the many ongoing programs under the cooperation include the support to addressing the economic and social challenges Namibia is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, support for management of public enterprises, promotion of vocational education, support for the transport sector, support packages for conservation, biodiversity and the tourism sector as well as the support programs for businesses, SMEs and informal settlements.
Namibia and Germany underscore the commitment of the two governments towards further strengthening the excellent bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the Namibian and German people.
