WINDHOEK: Lack of proper execution, a lack of accountability and spreading the efforts and resources too thinly are some of the reason why Namibia has not been able to achieve the high and sustainable economic growth.

National Planning Commission (NPC) Director General Tom Alweendo made this highlight in the National Development Plan (NDP4) executive summary booklet.

The NDP4 was launched last week by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

Alweendo said although Namibia’s economy has made considerable progress in some areas, the country however lagged behind on some key social indicators.

For instance, he said, the Human Development Index (HDI) was virtually stagnant between the Transitional Development Plan and NDP2 and the index barely increased during NDP3.

In 2011, Namibia HDI of 0,625 was below the world’s HDI average of 0,682.

Namibia ranked 120 out of 187, while the country is classified as an upper middle income country, he indicated, adding that the creation of employment is also unsatisfactory.

The official rate of unemployment increased steadily throughout all NDP periods hitting a high of over 50 per cent during NDP3.

Moreover, Alweendo noted, while improvements have been seen in the distribution of income, the Gini Coefficient of 0,58 still depicts the unacceptable level of income inequality.

Clearly, the economy needs to expand at a rapid and sustainable pace, and supportive, redistributive government policies are needed to address these challenges, he explained.

“There are a number of reasons why we have not been able to achieve the high and sustainable economic growth required for employment creation, poverty reduction and greater income equality,” he stated.

Some of the key reasons identified for slow progress have been lack of proper execution, a lack of accountability and spreading the efforts and resources too thinly, he reiterated.

In the first five years after independence in 1990, the government adopted a Transitional development Plan.

In 1995, the first forl NDP had been implemented, known as NDP1

The NDP1 focused on only foru goals, namely boostiong and sustaining economic growth, creating employment, reducing inequality in income distribution and reduction of poverty.

Twelf year later, in 2007/8, NDP3 came into effect.

By then, the number of goals to be reached had increased to 21.

the NDP4 add another dimension, namely focusing on the execution of development strategies as well as monitoring and evaluating development.