ONDANGWA, September 25 — Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare has called on the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) to increase its direct investment in agricultural and water infrastructure as Namibia seeks to strengthen food and water security.
Ngurare made the call on Friday during the inauguration of the GIPF’s new Ondangwa Regional Office in the Oshana Region, where he highlighted the pension fund’s growing role in supporting national development through its investments.
He proposed that GIPF consider financing major water projects, including canals linking Onamakunde and Ondombondola, the Etaka Canal from Olushandja to Lake Oponona, and proposed water channels from Nzinze to Mpungu, Ncaute to Ndonga Linena, Dreihuk to Warmbad and Bukalo to the Chobe-Linyanti-Kwando river system.
“GIPF continues to make a significant contribution to these national priorities through its investment activities,” Ngurare said, pointing to the fund’s investments in housing, infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, education and enterprise development.
The Prime Minister said GIPF, which had total assets of about N$223 billion, had invested more than N$466 million in the Oshana Region in housing, education, energy and procurement financing.
The fund currently serves about 115,000 active members and provides income security to approximately 58,400 pensioners and annuitants nationwide. During the first quarter of the current financial year alone, it paid about N$2 billion in benefits to members and beneficiaries, according to figures presented by Ngurare.
He said GIPF’s local investment had reached 50.6% as of 31 March 2025, exceeding the statutory requirement that at least 45% of the fund’s value be invested locally.
Ngurare said the investments were contributing to housing delivery, infrastructure development and economic diversification, while also supporting Namibia’s broader development priorities under the Sixth National Development Plan.
He highlighted GIPF-supported projects that had resulted in the servicing of 5,014 plots, the delivery of 7,793 houses and the creation of approximately 11,650 jobs through housing, land servicing and related developments as of the end of the previous financial year.
The fund also invested N$2.7 billion in renewable energy projects during the past financial year, contributing 162.75 megawatts to Namibia’s electricity generation capacity. A further N$665 million was invested in agribusinesses aimed at supporting food security, rural development and employment.
Ngurare said the figures represented more than financial returns, arguing that the investments had tangible consequences for Namibian households.
“Behind every house delivered is a family with a roof over its head. Behind every plot serviced is an opportunity for wealth creation. Behind every job created is a household with greater hope and security,” he said.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of governance, transparency and accountability in protecting pension contributions, warning that fraud and unethical conduct could undermine public confidence in the institution.
He commended the GIPF Board of Trustees and management for maintaining what he described as strong governance standards and for strengthening systems to address fraud, including whistleblower mechanisms.
“A Namibian dollar missing or unaccounted for is a Namibian dollar that could have improved the livelihood of our citizens,” Ngurare said.
He reiterated the government’s position that corruption, fraud and unethical behaviour have no place in public institutions, saying citizens expect institutions entrusted with public resources to be accountable and to take action against misconduct.
The new Ondangwa office, he said, forms part of GIPF’s decentralisation strategy and will bring pension services closer to members, pensioners, annuitants, child beneficiaries and surviving dependants in northern Namibia.
Ngurare said the regional office would reduce the need for beneficiaries to travel long distances to access services, thereby saving time and transport costs while improving accessibility.
He described the inauguration as more than the opening of another regional facility, saying it represented confidence in decentralised service delivery and the development potential of northern Namibia.
He urged GIPF to continue investing responsibly while strengthening member-centred services and supporting projects capable of creating lasting economic and social value.
