Weak accountability in govt derails development - Shiimi
Former finance minister urges stronger oversight
Swapo member of parliament and former finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi says accountability must be elevated to the highest level if the country is to meet its national goals.
Shiimi added that the country’s progress in several development areas has been hampered by weak coordination among government institutions. Speaking on his tenure as finance minister in a recent conversation with Dr Lia Tadesse, he admitted that while Namibia has no shortage of well-crafted plans and strategies, implementation continues to fall short due to fragmented coordination and a lack of sustained oversight.
“What has been a weakness in some of the coordination frameworks, especially in what I call the productivity task forces, is that coordination was not happening at a high enough level. It took place mainly between ministers. Now, ministers may choose to deliver on a particular assignment or may choose to ignore it. That was the missing ingredient,” Shiimi said.
He cited the green hydrogen programme as an example of how clear reporting lines to the highest office can make a difference. “With hydrogen, for instance, there was a clear reporting line to the President, and the President ensured that everyone was pulling in the same direction,” he noted.
However, Shiimi admitted that similar structures were lacking in other critical sectors, such as agriculture, where progress has been slow because “not all the players who had a role to play were delivering on the assignments given to them.”
“In other areas, responsibility was left to the ministers, which is why we have not made significant progress in some sectors, for example, agriculture, because not all the key players fulfilled their assigned roles. That lack of accountability among stakeholders, ensuring they deliver on their commitments, has been a key weakness,” he said.
“Going forward, I believe this must be strengthened. It should be strengthened by ensuring that either the president or the prime minister oversees coordination and demands regular progress reports from all those involved,” Shiimi added.
Turning to human development and education, Shiimi said that despite the wealth of studies and recommendations on reforming the country’s education sector, the missing link has always been execution. “We don’t have a lack of strategies on how to strengthen the education sector in Namibia. We have had all kinds of research and conferences. What has been missing has been the implementation part,” he said.
Shiimi revealed that in recent years, the Cabinet reviewed and streamlined the country’s education strategies, identifying ten top priorities for focused delivery. “The Cabinet Committee on Treasury and Economic Development must ensure that the ministry of education and other stakeholders implement this ten-point plan. They must monitor and report back to the government regularly,” he said.
He added that for the first time, a dedicated project team had been set up within the Ministry of Education to focus exclusively on executing this plan and tracking progress against measurable indicators. “From our past experience, we learned that the government tends to fight too many fires at once. As a result, we are unable to focus on a particular big goal and deliver on it,” Shiimi said.
“This project team is basically composed of people who are running this project until it achieves its outcomes. That started last year, and we are already seeing some progress," he added.
Reflecting on his experience, Shiimi argued that the country’s success hinges on three fundamentals: a clear plan, measurable results, and strong institutional accountability. “The key is to have a concrete plan with measurable indicators, and a clear institutional framework defining who manages it and who they report to. In this case, the steering committee reports to the Cabinet Committee, which I chair, and we report regularly to Cabinet,” he said.
Shiimi added that the country’s progress in several development areas has been hampered by weak coordination among government institutions. Speaking on his tenure as finance minister in a recent conversation with Dr Lia Tadesse, he admitted that while Namibia has no shortage of well-crafted plans and strategies, implementation continues to fall short due to fragmented coordination and a lack of sustained oversight.
“What has been a weakness in some of the coordination frameworks, especially in what I call the productivity task forces, is that coordination was not happening at a high enough level. It took place mainly between ministers. Now, ministers may choose to deliver on a particular assignment or may choose to ignore it. That was the missing ingredient,” Shiimi said.
He cited the green hydrogen programme as an example of how clear reporting lines to the highest office can make a difference. “With hydrogen, for instance, there was a clear reporting line to the President, and the President ensured that everyone was pulling in the same direction,” he noted.
However, Shiimi admitted that similar structures were lacking in other critical sectors, such as agriculture, where progress has been slow because “not all the players who had a role to play were delivering on the assignments given to them.”
“In other areas, responsibility was left to the ministers, which is why we have not made significant progress in some sectors, for example, agriculture, because not all the key players fulfilled their assigned roles. That lack of accountability among stakeholders, ensuring they deliver on their commitments, has been a key weakness,” he said.
“Going forward, I believe this must be strengthened. It should be strengthened by ensuring that either the president or the prime minister oversees coordination and demands regular progress reports from all those involved,” Shiimi added.
Turning to human development and education, Shiimi said that despite the wealth of studies and recommendations on reforming the country’s education sector, the missing link has always been execution. “We don’t have a lack of strategies on how to strengthen the education sector in Namibia. We have had all kinds of research and conferences. What has been missing has been the implementation part,” he said.
Shiimi revealed that in recent years, the Cabinet reviewed and streamlined the country’s education strategies, identifying ten top priorities for focused delivery. “The Cabinet Committee on Treasury and Economic Development must ensure that the ministry of education and other stakeholders implement this ten-point plan. They must monitor and report back to the government regularly,” he said.
He added that for the first time, a dedicated project team had been set up within the Ministry of Education to focus exclusively on executing this plan and tracking progress against measurable indicators. “From our past experience, we learned that the government tends to fight too many fires at once. As a result, we are unable to focus on a particular big goal and deliver on it,” Shiimi said.
“This project team is basically composed of people who are running this project until it achieves its outcomes. That started last year, and we are already seeing some progress," he added.
Reflecting on his experience, Shiimi argued that the country’s success hinges on three fundamentals: a clear plan, measurable results, and strong institutional accountability. “The key is to have a concrete plan with measurable indicators, and a clear institutional framework defining who manages it and who they report to. In this case, the steering committee reports to the Cabinet Committee, which I chair, and we report regularly to Cabinet,” he said.
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