President Hage Geingob has said the government acknowledges that Namibian society remains unequal and it is the reason why he declared all-out war against poverty and inequality when he became president.
Geingob in his State of the Nation Address in the National Assembly on Thursday said improving child malnutrition is a long-term investment in human capital, which has a triple dividend for the children of today, the adults of tomorrow and future generations.
“The subsequent single-minded goal of eradicating poverty in Namibia has been inspired by this reality. This ideal remains our greatest motivating force as a government. Several notable achievements can be reported to ensure Namibia achieves a measure of household and national food security and records zero deaths from hunger,” he added.
While the country has made progress in reducing stunting in children, it however remains high. Geingo
said the goal to eradicate poverty can only be achieved by unlocking the potential future of green schemes through alternative modes of operation, and through the Namibia Agriculture Mechanisation and Seed Implement Programme (NAMSIP).
“It is for this reason that the Namibian Government remains focused on food and nutritional security-related interventions in recognition of the rising cost of living. The old age social grant has been increased four times. This grant has proven overall positive in stemming poverty among poorer families across our country,” said the president.
The coverage for the old age social grant stands at 97 per cent of beneficiaries, which includes the grants of orphans and vulnerable children, which will be increased from N.dollars 250 to N.dollars 350 per month this year.
Geingob stressed that this naturally presents a long-term challenge as it will not be sustainable for so many people to depend on government support for their livelihood. For this reason, the fight against poverty must be responded to using multifaceted strategies, including engendering job creation through new complementary engines of growth, he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
