﻿President calls on UN to assist Namibia in its endeavor to be reclassified from upper-middle income to a low-income country

WINDHOEK: President Hifikepunye Pohamba has called on the United Nations to assist Namibia in its endeavour to be reclassified from an upper-middle income to a low-income country.

Pohamba made this call at State House yesterday, during official talks with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General (SG) Ban Ki-moon, who is in the country on a two-day official visit.

Namibia, like many other developing countries, is grappling with challenges of poverty, high levels of unemployment and under-development.

Pohamba said efforts towards improving the living conditions of Namibian people are, however, frustrated by Namibia’s classification as an upper-middle income country on the basis of its per capita income only.

He said given the country’s history of apartheid colonialism which enforced segregation and inequality in the Namibian society, the per capita income is not a true reflection of the socio-economic reality in Namibia, as it does not take into account the skewed income distribution inherited from the past.

After the official talks, Ban officially commissioned the UN House in the capital.

UN House hosts 12 agencies, funds and programmes, which work in collaboration with the Namibian Government.