Pretoria: Namibia requires a coordinated, whole-of-government communication strategy to support implementation of the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) professor and Economic Policy Research Association (EPRA) board member Johan Coetzee said on Friday.According to Namibia Press Agency, Coetzee was speaking at the Effective Communicators Conference (ECC26) in Swakopmund during a presentation on advancing democratic values and accountable governance. He highlighted that government ministries often communicated inconsistently with citizens, focusing on informing rather than engaging them, while stakeholder consultations frequently took place only after policy decisions had been made.Using the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill as an example, Coetzee noted that the legislation took 10 years to reach Parliament, creating prolonged uncertainty that undermined investor confidence. He emphasized that prolonged delays could drive investors to other countries, causing economic setbacks.Coetzee pointed out that the informal sector, which accounts for 58 per cent of employment and contributes 27 per cent of Namibia's gross domestic product (GDP), remains largely excluded from policy consultations despite being the country's largest employment source. He also highlighted that the Access to Information Act, passed in 2022, and the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 have yet to be implemented, contributing to policy uncertainty for both domestic and foreign investors.Addressing the Cybercrime Act, Coetzee argued that while the legislation deals with cybercrime, it does not adequately address data privacy concerns. He questioned provisions allowing law enforcement agencies to monitor private communications without a court interdict, noting that the legislation is informally referred to in some circles as a 'spy act.' Coetzee added that enforcement is constrained by limited digital forensic capacity and slow cross-border cooperation, citing unresolved cas es like Fishrot and SME Bank.Coetzee further stated that Namibia's gross fixed capital formation stood at 23 per cent of GDP in 2024, below the required 30 to 35 per cent to achieve NDP6 growth targets. He called for a transition from 'index-based' to 'performance-based' governance supported by published and verifiable outcome data.Also addressing the conference, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform's deputy director for public relations and information services, Romeo Muyunda, stated that public trust in government is built through consistent service delivery rather than communication campaigns. He emphasized that government communicators should serve as relationship managers, focusing on providing accurate information, engaging stakeholders, and managing communication during crises.Muyunda outlined eight principles for building public trust, which include reliable service delivery, transparency, credible leadership, consistent messaging, human-centered communication, and timel y crisis responses. He warned that communication vacuums during crises create opportunities for misinformation to spread and urged communicators to leverage digital platforms to engage citizens effectively.ECC26, co-hosted by the Namibia Press Agency and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, concludes on Friday at The Dome in Swakopmund.