Ngurare unveils N$2.5 billion plan to transform Namibia’s public service

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has unveiled a N$2.5 billion five-year strategic plan to overhaul Namibia’s public service, pledging disciplined implementation, innovation, and measurable outcomes to improve service delivery across all 121 constituencies.The Office of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Plan (2025–2030), launched last week, outlines ambitious financial allocations for digital transformation, governance reforms, disaster resilience, and institutional restructuring. The plan comes amid growing citizen concerns over inefficiency, poor accountability, and outdated systems in the public sector.The bulk of the development budget, N$1.3 billion, is earmarked for automation and the digitisation of public services, with cybersecurity featuring prominently through annual implementation plans designed to make government systems resilient against threats.Another N$1 billion has been allocated to special projects under the Prime Minister’s direct supervision. Smaller but significant allocations include N$80 million for implementing the government’s innovation policy, N$10 million for legislative reforms, and N$10 million for establishing a National Emergency Operations Centre.Training interventionsCapacity building for public servants is also included, with N$2.5 million set aside for training interventions under the Human Resource Development Plan.In his foreword to the plan, Ngurare struck a reflective yet urgent tone, acknowledging past shortcomings while emphasising the need for change. “Public service is a noble undertaking, but it comes with responsibilities that demand discipline, dedication, and innovation,” he wrote.He framed the plan as a necessary reconciliation in an era where outdated service delivery models are no longer viable.“What has worked yesteryear cannot be the norm today. Conventional and outdated service delivery approaches cannot be seen to be a legal precedent when it is regressive and unsustainable.”Ngurare also linked the financial plan to broader national development frameworks, stressing its alignment with both the Swapo Party Election Manifesto (2025–2030) and the 6th National Development Plan (NDP6). “Our Strategic Plan must swim through the 2025–2030 Swapo Party Election Manifesto and its Implementation Plan, as well as NDP6. We have started doing that,” he noted.By 2030, the government aims to raise citizen satisfaction with public services from the current 54% to 70%. Reforms will range from Cabinet policy implementation, regulatory reviews, and innovation initiatives to digitisation targets and the completion of disaster risk management facilities.Roll up our sleevesNgurare also pledged to close the gap between political leadership and administrative execution. “I pledge to strengthen the interface between the political and administrative organs to ensure convergence, synergies, and complementarity in meeting citizen expectations,” he stated.He insisted the plan would not remain another document gathering dust.“Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and work together for the benefit of our people and our country. What is required now is continued unity of purpose, disciplined implementation, and a results-oriented mindset across the public sector.”The strategic plan is also presented as a political compact between government and citizens, promising continuity of public services “under all circumstances” and rekindling trust in the state. "These social compacts are the fundamental fuelling rods of our governance and public administration policy architecture that will rekindle the fires that will restore the proverbial warmth between the Namibian people and their elected Government,” the PM wrote.

Ngurare unveils N$2.5 billion plan to transform Namibia’s public service

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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Ngurare unveils N$2.5 billion plan to transform Namibia’s public service

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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