The construction sector has urged the government through the statistics agency to urgently release the 2023 census data on employment and unemployment.
The sector says being unaware of the state of the workforce is hampering effective planning and recovery efforts.
The Construction Industries Federation of Namibia (CIF) says accurate, up-to-date employment data is essential for transparency, informed economic strategy and a deeper understanding of Namibia’s current unemployment landscape, particularly with the elections being around the corner.
The federation says the sector is still reeling from the effects of the moratorium on projects in 2016, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.
CIF chief executive Bärbel Kirchner in a statement on Thursday, said the sector is operating in a vacuum.
“Our industry needs to understand the extent of job losses and to identify where we can re-train and re-skill to meet the demands of recovery and support growth in emerging industries,” she said.
The chief executive said this lack of clarity makes it difficult to assess whether promised job creation targets would really address the country’s unemployment challenge or provide opportunities for those most impacted by the downturn in construction.
“These emerging industries are promising, but we need transparency to see where job creation is actually happening and how it stacks up against overall unemployment numbers and demographics.
There’s a real need to understand how these initiatives benefit all Namibians, especially those most in need of stable work,” Kirchner added.
The federation also stresses the need for a construction council to ensure that the industry has the regulatory support necessary to advocate workforce development and industry standards.
The Economic Policy Research Association (Epra), through legal representative Eben de Klerk, last Thursday challenged the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) to release the country’s unemployment statistics within 10 days.
De Klerk said if the data is not released within the stipulated time frame, Epra’s management committee reserves the right to seek legal action by approaching the High Court.
De Klerk said the delay suggests political interference.
Meanwhile, NSA statistician general Alex Shimuafeni has denied government interference in delaying the release of the unemployment statistics.
He says the labour force report will be released on 29 January.
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