A concise introduction to the most important aspects of Namibia's economic and social development over the past 5-10 years, including tracking progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
This 2019 Article IV Consultation with Namibia discusses that with the temporary stimuli now ended, the economy is rebalancing while the government is implementing a significant fiscal consolidation. A likely slow recovery, the need for further fiscal adjustment to bring public debt to a sustainable path, persistent inequalities and structural impediments to growth, point to a challenging outlook. Immediate measures are needed to deliver the authorities’ fiscal adjustment plans and bring public debt to a sustainable path. Policies should combine spending reductions and revenue increases that support long-term growth. Better targeting of cash transfers would protect the poor. Structural reforms are urgently needed to strengthen productivity and external competitiveness and boost long-term growth. Reforms should streamline business regulations, contain public sector wage dynamics, and reduce costs of key production inputs. Over time, it is important to remove non-tariff barriers to exports, foster the adoption of new technologies, and address shortages of skilled workers.
Investigating state responses to the Kimberley Process, an ambitious international agreement meant to reduce the trade of conflict diamonds, this study looks at the political economy of resource-wealthy states in Africa to understand why some African states have higher levels of compliance and co-operation than others.
The first part of this booklet provides a brief introduction to the Namibian economy, apartheid society and the struggle for liberation. It is followed by a description of the North American corporations involved in the extraction of Namibia's wealth. The author, who is research director of The Africa Fund, examines the role played by these corporations in South Africa's war, and argues in the concluding section that the Reagan Administration policy bears major responsibility for the continued sufferings of the Namibian people. See also Breaking the Economic Links with Namibia's Exploiters: Divestment Action in the United States, a paper presented to the International Seminar on The Role of Transnational Corporations in Namibia, Washington, 1982, 10 p. (Eriksen/Moorsom 1989).