NCCI confirms commitment to growth in Namibia

SERVICES NEWS

NewEra.com.na - Jul 23rd, 09:49

The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) successfully held its annual business summit, annual general meeting and gala & business awards ceremony on June 28 and 29. The annual events have become an influential platform for business leaders, together with political leaders and government officials, to compare notes on issues of significant importance to the growth and competitiveness of the country's economy. 

This year’s summit was dedicated to discussing the role of business in stimulating growth at home. The NCCI chose the theme to underscore its support to the government’s growth at home approach as a strategy for industrialisation and employment creation.

The chamber emphasised that it is in agreement with government that the raw materials and products produced should be used as the basis for increasing economic activities, achieving higher economic growth and addressing the unemployment challenges in the country.

The summit mobilised the private sector's contribution to a business environment that can make the country competitive and grow. Key resolutions of the summit include:

Vocational Training and Skills Development: The summit recognised the skills shortage in Namibia and further recognises the importance of vocational training in local organisations and the country as a whole, as a solution to the skills shortages being experienced across a variety of industries. The NCCI resolved to participate in addressing this issue and recommended that the matter be directed to the NCCI Board to come up with a proposal on how the private sector can participate in skills development through vocational training.

Power Generation: The summit, concerned with the lack of private participators in energy generation, encouraged the NCCI to take up the matter with government and key players in the energy sector to address any issues hampering the participation of the private sector.

Use of procurement to stimulate more economic activity: Procurement by the private sector is still low and the NCCI identified the need to support local industries as far as possible while encouraging competitiveness in terms of product and service quality and pricing. The NCCI is also expected to work with large member companies to ensure they also support SMEs by procuring services from them with the aim of assisting them to grow.

Branding Namibia: The NCCI supports the endorsement of Team Namibia to promote Brand Namibia, and the chamber has committed to sensitising all its members and stakeholders to support this initiative.

Market strategy for Angola: The meeting also outlined the fact that the NCCI must push for deeper integration in the SADC region in general in order to promote Namibian products in strategic markets like Angola.

The summit was officially opened by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Calle Schlettwein, and attended by leaders in business, government and civil society, who prompted fruitful debates and discussions, following presentations on key matters relating to the country.


From NewEra.com.na