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Economy of Namibia
The economy of Namibia has a modern market sector, which produces most of the country's wealth, and a traditional subsistence sector. Although the majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture and herding, Namibia has more than 200,000 skilled workers and a considerable number of well-trained professionals and managerials.
Namibia is a higher-middle-income country with an annual GDP per capita of N$79,431 in 2022, but has extreme inequalities in income distribution and standard of living. It has the second-highest Gini coefficient out of all nations, with a coefficient of 59.1 as of 2015. Only South Africa has a higher Gini coefficient. However, this statistic may be misleading, as many Namibians in rural areas such as the northern regions do not live on the monetary system are self-sustainable with agriculture and farming.
Since independence, the Namibian Government has pursued free-market economic principles designed to promote commercial development and job creation to bring disadvantaged Namibians into the economic mainstream. To facilitate this goal, the government has actively courted donor assistance and foreign investment. The liberal Foreign Investment Act of 1990 provides guarantees against nationalisation, freedom to remit capital and profits, currency convertibility, and a process for settling disputes equitably. Namibia also is addressing the sensitive issue of agrarian land reform in a pragmatic manner. However, the government runs and owns a number of companies such as TransNamib and NamPost, most of which need frequent financial assistance to stay afloat.
The country's sophisticated formal economy is based on capital-intensive industry and farming. However, Namibia's economy is heavily dependent on the earnings generated from primary commodity exports in a few vital sectors, including minerals, especially diamonds, livestock, and fish. Furthermore, the Namibian economy remains integrated with the economy of South Africa, as 47% of Namibia's imports originate from there.
In 1993, Namibia became a signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the Minister of Trade and Industry represented Namibia at the Marrakech signing of the Uruguay Round Agreement in April 1994. Namibia also is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
In January 2021, President Hage Geingob formed the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) led by Nangula Nelulu Uaandja. The NIPDB commenced operations as an autonomous entity in the Namibian Presidency and was established to reform the country's economic sector.
The trans-African automobile route - the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor pass through Namibia. Given its small domestic market but favourable location and a superb transport and communications base, Namibia is a leading advocate of regional economic integration. In addition to its membership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Namibia presently belongs to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) with South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Within SACU, there is no customs on goods produced in, and being transported amidst, its members. Namibia is a net receiver of SACU revenues; they are estimated to contribute 13.9 billion NAD in 2012.
The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. Privatisation of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment, although with the trade union movement opposed, so far most politicians have been reluctant to advance the issue. In September 1993, Namibia introduced its own currency, the Namibia Dollar (N$), which is linked to the South African Rand at a fixed exchange rate of 1:1. There has been widespread acceptance of the Namibia Dollar throughout the country and, while Namibia remains a part of the Common Monetary Area, it now enjoys slightly more flexibility in monetary policy although interest rates have so far always moved very closely in line with the South African rates.[citation needed]
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Economy of Namibia
The economy of Namibia has a modern market sector, which produces most of the country's wealth, and a traditional subsistence sector. Although the majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture and herding, Namibia has more than 200,000 skilled workers and a considerable number of well-trained professionals and managerials.
Namibia is a higher-middle-income country with an annual GDP per capita of N$79,431 in 2022, but has extreme inequalities in income distribution and standard of living. It has the second-highest Gini coefficient out of all nations, with a coefficient of 59.1 as of 2015. Only South Africa has a higher Gini coefficient. However, this statistic may be misleading, as many Namibians in rural areas such as the northern regions do not live on the monetary system are self-sustainable with agriculture and farming.
Since independence, the Namibian Government has pursued free-market economic principles designed to promote commercial development and job creation to bring disadvantaged Namibians into the economic mainstream. To facilitate this goal, the government has actively courted donor assistance and foreign investment. The liberal Foreign Investment Act of 1990 provides guarantees against nationalisation, freedom to remit capital and profits, currency convertibility, and a process for settling disputes equitably. Namibia also is addressing the sensitive issue of agrarian land reform in a pragmatic manner. However, the government runs and owns a number of companies such as TransNamib and NamPost, most of which need frequent financial assistance to stay afloat.
The country's sophisticated formal economy is based on capital-intensive industry and farming. However, Namibia's economy is heavily dependent on the earnings generated from primary commodity exports in a few vital sectors, including minerals, especially diamonds, livestock, and fish. Furthermore, the Namibian economy remains integrated with the economy of South Africa, as 47% of Namibia's imports originate from there.
In 1993, Namibia became a signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the Minister of Trade and Industry represented Namibia at the Marrakech signing of the Uruguay Round Agreement in April 1994. Namibia also is a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
In January 2021, President Hage Geingob formed the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) led by Nangula Nelulu Uaandja. The NIPDB commenced operations as an autonomous entity in the Namibian Presidency and was established to reform the country's economic sector.
The trans-African automobile route - the Tripoli-Cape Town Highway and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor pass through Namibia. Given its small domestic market but favourable location and a superb transport and communications base, Namibia is a leading advocate of regional economic integration. In addition to its membership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Namibia presently belongs to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) with South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Within SACU, there is no customs on goods produced in, and being transported amidst, its members. Namibia is a net receiver of SACU revenues; they are estimated to contribute 13.9 billion NAD in 2012.
The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand. Privatisation of several enterprises in coming years may stimulate long-run foreign investment, although with the trade union movement opposed, so far most politicians have been reluctant to advance the issue. In September 1993, Namibia introduced its own currency, the Namibia Dollar (N$), which is linked to the South African Rand at a fixed exchange rate of 1:1. There has been widespread acceptance of the Namibia Dollar throughout the country and, while Namibia remains a part of the Common Monetary Area, it now enjoys slightly more flexibility in monetary policy although interest rates have so far always moved very closely in line with the South African rates.[citation needed]