Namibians in Finland to learn about Finnish local administration

Press release 147/2007
9 August 2007

Seven representatives of the Namibian regional and local administration are making a ten-day educational trip to Finland on 11-20 August, learning about the activities of municipal and provincial administration and organisations looking after their interests. The places the Namibians will visit include Espoo, Tampere, Lempäälä, and the State Provincial Office of Southern Finland in Hämeenlinna.

The visit is part of a development co-operation project between Finland and Namibia with an aim to support the transfer of decision-making powers from the central administration to regions and municipalities. The project, launched in 2001, brings decision-making closer to the recipients of the services by strengthening the administration of all regions of Namibia. The project is currently in its second phase, which will continue until 2008. At the same time, it is also the last grant-based development co-operation project Finland is implementing in Namibia. During the project, Finland educates authorities of regional administration and ministry officials to manage their new tasks and helps the ministries to plan and implement administrative decentralisation. The support services are provided by Ramboll Finnconsult Oy.

Those participating in the educational trip come from the areas of Erongo and Omaheke, which mainly specialise in animal husbandry. In Erongo, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean, other important sources of income include fishing, mining and tourism.

Since Namibia gained its independence and throughout the 1990s, the country has been among the most important target countries of Finnish development co-operation. Between 1970 and 2006, Finland has donated to Namibia a total of more than EUR 121 million. Finland has supported Namibia in the development of country's water supply systems, healthcare, forests, mining industry, environmental protection, functioning of the state administration, and regional administration. In 2001, Finland decided to focus its grant-based development co-operation to the poorest countries of the world, which means that Finland's grant—based contributions to Namibia will come to an end at the end of 2007. The new forms of co-operation between the countries include, for instance, subsidised loans, business partnership programme, and co-operation between universities and authorities.

Additional information: Counsellor Sanna Halinen, Unit for Southern Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6653, requests for interviews: Information Officer Outi Einola-Head, tel. +358 9 1605 6376