In 2004, Namibia adopted Vision 2030 , a document that clearly spells out the country's development programmes and strategies to achieve its national objectives. Vision 2030 focuses on eight themes to realise the country's long term vision.
Factors of the External Environment.
In the Vision 2030 document, President Sam Nujoma stated that the national vision is a perception of the future. The goal of the Vision is to improve the quality of life of the people of Namibia to the level of their counterparts in the developed world, by 2030.
According to the President, Vision 2030 presents a clear view of where Namibia is, were it wants to go from here, and over what time frame. It is a vision that will take Namibia from the present into the future, a vision that will guide the nation to make deliberate efforts to improve the quality of life of the Namibian people. It is a unifying vision which would provide direction to government ministries, the private sector, NGOs, civil society and regional and local government authorities.
Since the future is about the people, Vision 2030 concerns itself with the population in relation to their social, economic and overall well-being. The Vision will transform Namibia into a healthy and food-secure nation, in which all preventable, infectious and parasitic diseases (including HIV/AIDS) are under secure control, people enjoy high standards of living, a good quality of life and have access to quality education, health and other vital services. All of these aspirations translate into a long life expectancy and sustainable population growth.
The Vision is also designed to promote the creation of a diversified, open market economy, with a resource-based industrial sector and commercial agriculture, placing great emphasis on skills development. The Vision will also promote competitiveness in the export sector, in terms of product quality and differentiation.
Capacity building will be pursued with the utmost vigour by both the private and public sectors to support the objectives of Vision 2030. The country will, furthermore, operate a totally integrated, unified, flexible and high quality education and training system that prepared Namibian learners to take advantage of a rapidly changing global environment, including developments in science and technology. The capacity building will transform Namibia into a knowledge-based society and changes in production and information technology will revolutionalise all aspects of the manufacturing process.
Vision 2030 is expected to reduce inequalities and move the nation significantly up the scale of human development, to be ranked high among the developed countries in the world.
By 2030, Namibia will be a just, moral, tolerant and safe society with legislative, economic and social structures in place to eliminate marginalisation and ensure peace and equity between women and men, the diverse ethnic groups and people of different ages, interests and abilities.
One of the major principles upon which Vision 2030 is based is " partnerships", which is recognised as a major prerequisite for the achievement of dynamic, efficient and sustainable development. This involves partnership between government, communities and civil society, partnership between different branches of government, with the private sector, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and the international community, partnership between urban and rural societies and, ultimately between all members of the Namibian society.
See also: National Planning Commission.