Bureaucratic bottlenecks putting economy at risk - Ngurare

Prime Minister Dr Elijah Ngurare has delivered a stark assessment of Namibia’s fragmented public service, warning that inefficiencies in government processes are exacting a real economic toll.

“For too long, citizens and businesses have navigated fragmented systems that consume time, resources and opportunity,” Ngurare said.

He cautioned that bureaucratic delays are no longer mere inconveniences but are undermining Namibia’s competitiveness.

“When entrepreneurs face administrative delays, growth slows," he said.

"When investors encounter fragmented systems, competitiveness as an investment destination declines,” he added.

The prime minister was speaking at the inaugural Public Sector Innovation Conference on 24 February in Windhoek, where officials highlighted that addressing administrative bottlenecks is now central to broader economic reform efforts.

He also emphasised that reform must move beyond policy discussions into tangible operational change.

“Achieving these priorities requires more than incremental reform. It requires rapid transformation in government operations,” he said.

Ngurare further warned that inefficient public services are eroding citizen confidence in state institutions.

“When citizens experience inefficient service delivery, trust erodes,” Ngurare said.

Start-ups stymied

The warning is already playing out on the ground. A local small business owner who recently tried to register a company through the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) described the process as discouraging, citing unclear requirements and limited guidance.

She said that after initially filling out the wrong forms due to insufficient guidance at the office, she had to restart the process from the name reservation stage.

“The forms were kept outside and security guards were assisting with guidance, which led to mistakes,” she said.

The entrepreneur added that she was also required to provide a letter from an accountant, a step she had not anticipated. She was told that her handwritten application would not be accepted and that it needed to be typed and submitted in multiple copies.

“There was no clear indication of requirements on the application forms, and the building was overcrowded, which resulted in waiting in the wrong queue for hours,” she added.

Ultimately, she abandoned the registration process altogether.

“I lost out on funding and tender opportunities that were meant for start-ups because completing the process was becoming too costly for my small business,” she said.

Moreover, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), often described as the backbone of Namibia’s economy, illustrate the broader cost of these inefficiencies.

Namibia has an estimated 40 000 SMEs that contribute significantly to the country’s gross domestic product and support about 6.4% of livelihoods, according to government data.

These businesses create jobs, sustain households and drive innovation across communities.

Yet behind the numbers are thousands of entrepreneurs battling financial pressures, high operating costs and regulatory hurdles, many of which are compounded by slow, fragmented public services.