President Hage Geingob says the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an appropriate occasion to reflect and renew commitments in the fight against poverty.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an international observance celebrated each year on October 17 throughout the world.

President Geingob declared war on poverty seven years ago, a move that has since seen the government initiate targeted programs to uplift the living standards of the poor.

"It is against this backdrop that the government, under the Social Progression Pillar 3 of the Harambee Prosperity Plan, engaged in a people-centered approach to development that aims to ensure an improved quality of life for all Namibians, specifically the most vulnerable members of our society. By doing so, we aim at bridging the gap by making meaningful progress in human development, arresting poverty, curbing income and wealth inequalities, and providing basic amenities for all our people," President Geingob said in a statement. 

These include the doubling of the old-age pension from N$600 in 2016 to N$1200, resulting in a better life for over 180 000 pensioners, with a multiplier effect running into hundreds of thousands more beneficiaries.

Geingob says in fulfilling the mandate to eradicate poverty, the government, through the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, has strategies such as social protection, community development, and poverty eradication programmes to create an inclusive society where all Namibians can enjoy a dignified life.

The statement further said in the strategic priority area of ending hunger, the government successfully rolled out food banks in all 14 regions, reaching over 11-thousand families, including 50-thousand food-insecure Namibians. 

Furthermore, the Food and Nutrition Security Policy was developed with the focus of improving the implementation of food and nutrition security. The government has also recently launched the Social Protection Policy, reaching 1 million Namibians, which includes grants for people with disabilities, old age pensions, vulnerable children and orphans, contributing to poverty reduction by strengthening social safety nets across the life cycle.