Civil servants urged to work towards maximising AfCFTA benefits

Prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called on civil servants to prepare themselves for Namibia to reap the full benefits of the African Continental Free Area agreement (AfCFTA).

She made these remarks in a speech read on her behalf by the deputy industrialisation minister, Verna Sinimbo, during the four- day 2023 Africa Public Service Day commemoration, which concluded at Katima Mulilo yesterday.

African Union (AU) member states commemorate Africa Public Service Day on 23 June annually to mark and recognise the role of public sector organisations and their positive contributions and benefits to communities, as well as the contributions of civil society and the private sector to national development efforts.

This year, the day was celebrated under the theme, “The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will Require a Fit-for-purpose African Administration to Succeed”.

According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, AfCFTA members give access to markets on the continent by promoting opportunities for increased trade and economic growth, therefore, it is crucial for the country to be well prepared.

“Preparedness through the development of public systems and institutions, among others, is required. Further, we must align and coordinate our efforts at all levels and promote a spirit of partnership with other stakeholders beyond the public service in order to leverage the resources and capabilities of all Namibians to optimise economic growth and development. The public service is at the centre of the success of AfCFTA,” she said.

She cautioned that failure to prepare for the AfCFTA could result in negative consequences for the economy, including failure to industrialise, threat to infant local industries, loss of jobs and reduced public revenue for Africans to boost intra-Africa trade.

“As public servants, we are expected to possess appropriate capacities and skills to operate the public institutions and systems, and enable the public service to respond to changing dynamics and withstand external shocks,” she said.

She encouraged civil servants to help foster a culture of innovation in the public sector and nurture the innovations to bring improvement in public service delivery.

Namibian of Public Service Commission member Nashilongo Shivute said human resource departments, despite being the backbone of any organisation, do not get the needed staff members or sufficient budget allocation, as a result human resource officers tend to be overworked.

“To address these shortcomings and to enhance service delivery. we need to give increased attention to human resource issues to elevate them to their deserving position. Human resource department issues must enjoy the attention of management alongside programmers, finance management and budget execution. We believe that programmes and budgets cannot be executed effectively if people’s issues are not accorded the importance they deserve,” she said.

Cabinet secretary George Simataa said civil servants must realise that the quality and effectiveness of their service delivery is measured by those they serve, therefore, they should always ensure they provide the best services to the masses.

“The bar keeps on rising, as it transcends through AfCFTA to the larger African continent, and by extension the global community. Namibia has to find her niche and optimise her benefits by building capacity for competency across the board, quality products and services and competitiveness to survive,” he said.