President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has given State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) a 24-month deadline to table investment-ready projects while declaring she is prepared to disrupt government systems to remove obstacles.
The directive came as Public Enterprise (PE) executives cited financial constraints and ageing infrastructure among the biggest hurdles limiting performance.
At the inaugural CEO Breakfast Dialogue hosted by the Public Enterprises Chief Executive Officers Forum, the President instructed every public enterprise to identify one strategic investment project ready for implementation within the next 24 months.
Each institution must also pinpoint a single reform capable of unlocking its potential, spell out laws and regulations that require alignment and identify constraints that need Cabinet or presidential intervention.
The proposals are expected to indicate how they will create jobs, increase procurement opportunities for local businesses, drive import substitution and support balanced regional development.
"I said I'm going to be a disruptive president. I'll disrupt; for the sake of the Namibian people, I'm going to disrupt. I know there may be a lot of court cases here, but the nation will protect me. They can be with me in court. So let me know what constraint requires cabinet or presidential intervention for you to deliver the service to the Namibian people. And then which are those rules or regulations that need alignment? Mention them and talk about what alignment is required."
The discussion comes as SOEs remain under pressure to improve performance.
A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration places the combined asset value of PEs at about N$120 billion, with the sector employing approximately 25,000 Namibians.
Nandi-Ndaitwah wants every reform supported by measurable outcomes that translate into economic growth and tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
"Which is your strategic investment project which is ready for implementation within the next 24 months? I want to know that. What single reform would unlock your specific public enterprise? And when you are going to do those reforms, how many direct and indirect jobs are going to be created?"
Finance Minister Erica Shafudah shifted the focus from plans to execution and said that limited resources should no longer stand in the way of delivery.
She urged PEs to anchor their programmes along the priorities under NDP 6 and measure success through jobs created and lower levels of inequality.
"The time for talking is over, and now we need to focus on deliverables, tangible deliverables. What the ordinary Namibian person wants to hear is the number of employments created, how poverty has been addressed and how we have addressed issues of inequalities."
The Forum's chairperson, Fluksman Samuehl, reminded fellow executives of the responsibility of restoring public confidence in the institutions.
"Namibians can only be proud of public enterprises if such institutions are managed responsibly, and the business models are designed to improve performance, operational efficiencies, competitiveness and quality service delivery to all citizens of Namibia."
The CEO dialogue ended with a clear assignment, that is, to move beyond the talking phase as the President signals readiness to break through bureaucratic barriers in pursuit of results.