The Namibia Correctional Services has commenced the process of recruiting 300 new intakes, while the Namibian Police will recruit an additional 1,000 intakes in 2023.

President Hage Geingob says the recruitment will also significantly relieve the human resource constraints being experienced in the police force.

He says these are just some of the targeted interventions to respond to the challenge of youth unemployment in the country.

"Furthermore, the Namibia Defense Force has recruited 1,470 intakes during 2022 and has made provision to recruit an additional 1,500 intakes for the year 2023. In an effort to bridge the "skills gap" and prepare for the "jobs of the future, the University of Namibia (UNAM) has established the Green Hydrogen Research Institute to respond to the urgent need for high-level expertise, laboratories, and other scientific infrastructures required to deliver clean energy sources."

On the issue of student financing, President Geingob says the waiving of interest on all past and present student loans will continue.

This comes after he announced an amnesty on interest payments for student loans with the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund last year.

"This has resulted in the waiving of about N$2.3 billion in interest debts from all past and present student loans. A positive response was received from students, and N$14 million has been recovered this financial year, an improvement from the previous average of N$4 million in annual recovery rates. The amnesty will therefore continue until June 30, 2023."

The government has also allocated N$20.6 billion, or 24% of public expenditure, to the education sector for the current financial year.

The President says N$200 million of the allocation is for the recruitment of new teachers.