We are not a rich nation - Geingob
NAMPA
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob says Namibia is still a poor country and it ought to be recognised as such.
Namibia was classified as an upper-middle income state from its status of a middle-income country by the World Bank and the classification, according to Geingob, will affect the support the country will receive especially during the Covid-19 crisis.
“The country is poor and we ought to be recognised as such. The per capita income looks high but the wealth distribution to the rest of the people is not equal,” he said.
Geingob was responding to questions by journalists during the 25th Covid-19 public briefing, which was held in Windhoek on Wednesday in reference to the country being classified as an upper-middle-income state.
The president added that apart from other negative impacts that the classification has had on the country, including the inability of the country to
access much-needed soft loans and other assistance, it has also had an impact on the country accessing the coronavirus vaccine.
‘Unfair’
According to him, before anyone or any country decides to support Namibia, even with the vaccine, they will look at the per capita income and, at the moment, Namibia is seen as a rich nation.
“This is unfair... We are not a rich nation. When people are trying to give these Covid-19 vaccines, they will first look at the per capita income and most
will say we are rich and thus we must buy. Even those who are trying to donate to us will say ‘we will only give you this much and the rest you must
buy’, but that is not fair because it affects us,” Geingob said.
The head of state explained that the upper classification was determined by dividing the country’s gross domestic product by its population, which
indicates a high per capita income, which he said does not mean the country is rich.
“We are rich in that regard, but I always argued that we come from an apartheid background - the country was divided so they could not just say the
country is rich as if the wealth distribution was equal. That is a battle I have been waging since independence,” Geingob said.
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob says Namibia is still a poor country and it ought to be recognised as such.
Namibia was classified as an upper-middle income state from its status of a middle-income country by the World Bank and the classification, according to Geingob, will affect the support the country will receive especially during the Covid-19 crisis.
“The country is poor and we ought to be recognised as such. The per capita income looks high but the wealth distribution to the rest of the people is not equal,” he said.
Geingob was responding to questions by journalists during the 25th Covid-19 public briefing, which was held in Windhoek on Wednesday in reference to the country being classified as an upper-middle-income state.
The president added that apart from other negative impacts that the classification has had on the country, including the inability of the country to
access much-needed soft loans and other assistance, it has also had an impact on the country accessing the coronavirus vaccine.
‘Unfair’
According to him, before anyone or any country decides to support Namibia, even with the vaccine, they will look at the per capita income and, at the moment, Namibia is seen as a rich nation.
“This is unfair... We are not a rich nation. When people are trying to give these Covid-19 vaccines, they will first look at the per capita income and most
will say we are rich and thus we must buy. Even those who are trying to donate to us will say ‘we will only give you this much and the rest you must
buy’, but that is not fair because it affects us,” Geingob said.
The head of state explained that the upper classification was determined by dividing the country’s gross domestic product by its population, which
indicates a high per capita income, which he said does not mean the country is rich.
“We are rich in that regard, but I always argued that we come from an apartheid background - the country was divided so they could not just say the
country is rich as if the wealth distribution was equal. That is a battle I have been waging since independence,” Geingob said.
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