2001/2002 - 2005/2006

The national development strategy for Namibia consists of a long and medium term development perspectives. The Second National Development Plan (NDP2) was prepared soon after completing the execution of NDP1, whose five-year implementation ended during the financial year 1999/2000. The launching of NDP2, during 2001/2002 fiscal year, has provided the much needed continuity and consistence in the application of the country’s development strategy.

The Second National Development Plan was prepared through wider participation of stakeholders during the various stages of its preparation. Early in the planning process, consultative meetings and workshops, at both national and line ministries, were held to discuss the issues and threats to sustainable development in Namibia, and on which basis a vision for NDP2 was developed and undertaken to guide the drafting of chapters. As soon as the draft chapters became available, participatory mechanisms were set up for the screening and reviewing of, and consolidation of the comments and suggestions made into the draft chapters. Participants were drawn from the government and non-government sectors, such as Trade Unions, NGO’s, Civil Society, Donors, Governors and their officials, parastatals, private sector representatives. Cabinet Ministers participated actively both during the workshops and during the drafting of sector and cross-sectoral chapters.

Representatives from the University of Namibia participated in the planning process through sectoral planning committees which were set up for the purpose by line ministries. We have therefore, succeeded in making the NDP2 planning process more consultative than was the case in the past.

Growing more conscious of the fact that Namibia’s continued economic growth depends very much on its rich natural resources and unique arid environment, we have in NDP2, initiated the difficult, but necessary process of taking into account environmental and sustainability aspects in sectoral, cross-sectoral and regional development planning. Harmonization of the draft chapters and the establishment of the plan’s internal consistency was carried out by the National Planning Commission in consultation and collaboration with line ministries and regional authorities.

The Second National Development Plan, is made up of three volumes as follows:

Volume Two on the other hand consists of an introduction which is a general chapter discussing general regional issues common to all regions and thirteen chapters representing individual regional development programmes.

Volume Three is made up of all the programmes and projects presented in respective chapters of NDP2. It includes those projects categorised as “To be funded”. These are projects whose funding is still to be found.

The Second National Development Plan differs from NDP1 in a number of ways. First, cross- sectoral policies have been prominently outlined and represented. Secondly a volume dealing specifically with regional development issues, has been prepared for the first time. Lastly, a number of new and important chapters, such as poverty reduction, income distribution, HIV/AIDS, science and technology, private sector development, etc, have been included in NDP2 in order to widen and strengthen the focus and thrust of NDP2.

This set of documents is available at the finance section of the National Planning Commission Secretariat, at a cost of only N$320.