The Cabinet approved the common guidelines for the operationalisation of the National Youth Fund, which include an initial outlay of N$257 million and subsequent yearly official subventions.
The Fund has an approach focused on project entrepreneurship to ensure that some entities are supported by eventually scaling up and attaining market maturity.
"This guideline also includes the landing channels or conduits, market linkages conduits, and targeted landing facilities, which are allied public landing and grants conduits and policy-based landing pricing regimes segmented for setup initiatives between N$60,000 and N$200,000 at a 2% interest rate," said ICT Minister Emma Theofelus while delivering the latest Cabinet decisions.
The Cabinet also took note of Namibia's participation at the 78th World Health Assembly and directed that the Ministry of Health and Social Services endeavour to align with global health and related initiatives, strategies, and targets adopted at the Assembly in line with national priorities and plans.
"Cabinet also directed the ministry, in collaboration with the ministries of International Relations and Trade, Environment and any other ministries, offices and agencies as appropriate, to prioritise Namibian participation in the intergovernmental working group on the pathogen access and benefit sharing annexe."
Another resolution taken is the implementation of a gender-responsive planning and budgeting initiative, and it was also approved for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Namibian Institute of Public Administration and Management to sign an agreement.
The Memorandum of Agreement pertains to the implementation of a budgeting program course for members of Parliament and civil servants over three financial years, from 2025 to 2028.
"Cabinet then directed the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to undertake awareness campaigns to urge all OMAs, regional councils, local authorities and public enterprises to incorporate gender responsive planning and budgeting in the development of their strategic plans and present preparation of their budgets."