Sostenus Wilherm
The ministry of international relations and trade’s claim that investment projects linked to its initiatives have created 9 343 permanent jobs has come under scrutiny, with Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister of international relations Rodney Cloete arguing that only 951 permanent jobs were actually recorded as created.
The figures were presented by deputy minister of international relations Jennely Matundu in the National Assembly on Thursday while responding to Cloete’s question on the ministry’s role in job creation.
Matundu told the House that 28 projects collectively attracted N$66.85 billion in investment and created 9 343 permanent jobs.
“The ministry of international relations and trade is committed to facilitating job creation through various initiatives aligned with a broad national objective. Overall, the ministry’s initiative resulted in 28 projects that collectively invested N$66.85 billion and created 9 343 permanent jobs,” Matundu said.
She explained that the ministry’s role is primarily to facilitate investment, trade relations and export opportunities rather than directly create jobs.
“The ministry is, however, not directly involved in job creation,” she said.
According to Matundu, agriculture accounted for 11 projects across several regions, generating 2 142 permanent jobs from N$4.67 billion in investment.
“The //Kharas Region accounted for N$2.9 billion of that investment and 1 213 jobs. In the metal mining and adjacent industries sector, seven projects generated 2,910 permanent jobs and attracted N$18.25 billion in investment. The Erongo Region accounted for five of those projects, with N$10.99 billion invested and 2,080 jobs created,” she said
Matundu further said a project in the chemicals and basic materials sector generated 30 permanent jobs from an investment of N$450 million, while a digital and global business services project in ||Kharas attracted N$543.69 million and created 23 permanent jobs.
However, Cloete has challenged the ministry’s figures, arguing that the 9 343 jobs represent jobs projected by the projects rather than jobs already created.
In a release issued on Sunday, Cloete said the project table attached to the ministry’s response shows a significant difference between promised and actual employment.
“The 9 343 sits under ‘Permanent Jobs’, which is what the projects promised. The column headed ‘Actual Jobs Created (Permanent)’ totals 951. From N$66.85 billion announced, N$7.74 billion is recorded as actually invested,” Cloete said.
He also questioned the investment figure presented by the ministry, saying that while N$66.85 billion had been announced, only N$7.74 billion was recorded as actually invested in the project table.
Cloete cited Hylron Phase 1 at Walvis Bay as an example, saying the project was listed with an investment value of N$37.23 billion and 4 000 permanent jobs, but recorded no actual investment or employment.
The IPC lawmaker argued that the distinction between projected and actual jobs was important, particularly when measuring progress against the government’s broader employment ambitions.
He said the 951 permanent jobs recorded as actual employment would amount to only a small fraction of the national target of 500 000 jobs over five years.
Cloete further questioned the ministry’s response on how trade agreements, exports and foreign direct investment would translate into actual employment.
Matundu said enhancing export markets and attracting foreign direct investment, particularly in sectors such as oil and gas, could create thousands of jobs.
She said the ministry was working towards targets of N$254 billion in foreign direct investment and N$168 billion in export value, which she said held substantial potential for job creation.
The deputy minister also pointed to the International Trade Management Bill as part of the ministry’s efforts to create an enabling environment for investment and industry.
“The International Trade Management Bill will be tabled in this House next month,” Matundu said.
She urged lawmakers to ensure that the legislation is passed without unnecessary delays.
On accountability, Matundu said the ministry has performance indicators linked to projects and strategic targets, with senior officials and heads of missions expected to meet their assigned targets.
She said progress on employment, exports and investment is also supported by data from institutions such as the Namibia Statistics Agency and the Namibia Integrated Employment Information System under the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations.
Cloete, however, called for more detailed and verifiable reporting, including a dated quarterly register showing jobs promised against jobs actually created.
