Unboxing Namibia
Just over two years ago the first Covid-19 case was reported in Namibia. The “new normal” catapulted the country - in which low or negative economic growth had already become the norm - into unknown hardship.
About 25 months later and no longer in recession, albeit on paper, it’s time for Namibia to get back to work. Literally and figuratively.
The rocky road to recovery, still marred by numerous challenges, will demand government and the private sector to work together like never before.
Government will have to heed the tired call of the private sector to remove policy uncertainty once and for all and tackle business-unfriendly legislation and regulations, red tape and persistent reports of perceived or real corruption. The economy, rather than politics, must be the only priority.
The private sector can’t use ineffective government and governance as an excuse to sit on the bench and just criticise. It too has to play ball as government no longer has the fiscal capacity to drive the economy.
Namibia’s labour force will have to accept that now is not the time for unrealistic demands. The pandemic has sapped the last reserves of the private sector and for many businesses, it’s back to square one.
But employers must also realise the unspeakable toll the recession and the pandemic have taken on their employees – physically, emotionally, mentally and financially. Burn-out and the Big Quit are no longer buzz words in just the rest of the world. Compassion, flexibility and acknowledgement are crucial boosts.
Now, more than ever, the tri-partite in the economy will be tested: team work between government, employers and workers.
This will require trust which, like the economy, has been eroded by the relentless winds of change.
It will require respect, which, in this brutal fight for survival over the past years, has become a distant virtue.
More than anything else, confidence will be paramount.
Confidence that government has the best interest of Namibia at heart. Confidence that the private sector isn’t purely driven by profit at the expense of the common good. Confidence that workers are diligent partners in the state and business’ true strive towards development.
It’s the proverbial time to think outside the box. Let’s unbox Namibia!
About 25 months later and no longer in recession, albeit on paper, it’s time for Namibia to get back to work. Literally and figuratively.
The rocky road to recovery, still marred by numerous challenges, will demand government and the private sector to work together like never before.
Government will have to heed the tired call of the private sector to remove policy uncertainty once and for all and tackle business-unfriendly legislation and regulations, red tape and persistent reports of perceived or real corruption. The economy, rather than politics, must be the only priority.
The private sector can’t use ineffective government and governance as an excuse to sit on the bench and just criticise. It too has to play ball as government no longer has the fiscal capacity to drive the economy.
Namibia’s labour force will have to accept that now is not the time for unrealistic demands. The pandemic has sapped the last reserves of the private sector and for many businesses, it’s back to square one.
But employers must also realise the unspeakable toll the recession and the pandemic have taken on their employees – physically, emotionally, mentally and financially. Burn-out and the Big Quit are no longer buzz words in just the rest of the world. Compassion, flexibility and acknowledgement are crucial boosts.
Now, more than ever, the tri-partite in the economy will be tested: team work between government, employers and workers.
This will require trust which, like the economy, has been eroded by the relentless winds of change.
It will require respect, which, in this brutal fight for survival over the past years, has become a distant virtue.
More than anything else, confidence will be paramount.
Confidence that government has the best interest of Namibia at heart. Confidence that the private sector isn’t purely driven by profit at the expense of the common good. Confidence that workers are diligent partners in the state and business’ true strive towards development.
It’s the proverbial time to think outside the box. Let’s unbox Namibia!
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Namibian Sun
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