SK
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
Namibia
Prime Minister
Description
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila joined the Liberation Struggle for Namibia's Independence in 1980 when she was 12 years. She is a Member of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau of the Governing Party SWAPO; and has served as a Member of the National Executive Committee of the Party Youth League. She has also served as the SWAPO Party Secretary for Economic Affairs. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND: Having gone into exile at the age of 12 years to join the liberation struggle for her country, she completed her Primary education at the SWAPO Education Centre in a refugee camp in Angola. She went on to do her secondary school in Sierra Leone, West Africa in 1982, which she completed with honors in 1987. Tertiary Education: She studied for her first Degree at Lincoln University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Suma Cum laude (Salutatorian) in 1994. She obtained her Master Degree in Financial Economics at the London School of Economics in 1998. WORK HISTORY: Upon her successful completion of her degree program at Lincoln, Saara was appointed Director-General of the National Planning Commission, the Country's Development's Planning Agency and she served in this position from 1995 until 2003 when she was appointed as Minister of Finance in May 2003. She served as Finance Minister until March 2015 when she was appointed as Prime Minister on 21 March 2015 by Dr. Hage G. Geingob, the Country's third President. As Finance Minister, she oversaw the country's first budget surplus which was recorded for three executive years (2005/06 to 2007/08). This enabled the country to use fiscal policy to weather the storm during the Global Financial Crisis. The country also made a debut during her tenure into the Global Capital Market this period with an issuance of the US Dollar 500 million Eurobond in 2011. Honorary Awards: She was bestowed the Most Brilliant Order of the Sun: Second Class by Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, second President of Namibia in August 2014 for her contribution to her country's development. She was also awarded with the Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Finance by the University of Namibia in November 2015 in recognition of her contribution to the Country's public finance management. She was elected to the National Assembly, the Country's legislative body in 2000, a membership she holds to date. On 21 March 2015, she was appointed Prime Minister by President Hage G. Geingob. On international front: She served in various Regional and International Bodies as Governor or Council Member, including IMF/World Bank. The African Development Bank (ADB), the African Export Import Bank, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
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