The Secretary to the National Council, Tousy Namiseb, stated that Namibia is focusing on enhancing its legislative and oversight functions to improve service delivery.

Namiseb made this announcement during a two-day training session on Policy Formulation and Analysis for the Parliament of Namibia in Swakopmund.

He explained that the National Council's role is to review laws created by the National Assembly and to ensure that ministries adhere to their mandates and align their activities with allocated budgets.

According to Namiseb, the oversight function is essential for promoting transparency and ensuring the efficient use of resources.

He also mentioned that the Council is collaborating with the International Parliamentary Union to benchmark with countries like Canada and Australia to enhance its effectiveness.

Namibia aims to adopt best practices and strengthen its legislative capacity by partnering with international institutions to bolster its democratic processes.

"We, the Parliament, will conduct consultations across various regions of the country to assess service delivery. We will return to the ministries to highlight areas where performance is lacking and encourage collaborative improvements. We will establish deadlines and strategies for enhancement, which will ultimately benefit ordinary citizens in areas such as healthcare and education, where serious intervention is needed."

Namiseb added that training workshops are a crucial step toward equipping staff with the necessary skills to tackle complex issues, which could improve the overall functioning of Namibia's parliament.

"We need to develop policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures. However, to achieve this, we must first identify any gaps or gray areas. Once these areas are identified, the process of formulating policies with financial provisions becomes intricate. Policymakers at higher levels must be engaged to gain their buy-in for these policies so that we can implement effective solutions."