Private Public Partnership implementation critical

The implementation of the Private Public Partnership framework is essential if Namibia wants to boost its investments, the Minister of Finance, Calle Schlettwein said in the National Assembly this week.
The minister said that the approach in lifting the domestic asset requirements is a phased one, and that it is accompanied by other reform measures such as the implementation of a public private partnership framework and an approach on how best to leverage Public Enterprises in this regard should be established so that the investments made have underlying returns. “Changes to Regulation 28 will release substantial invertible capital in the domestic economy and we have to accelerate SOE reforms to support investment opportunities in the market,” Schlettwein said. Schlettwein noted that even though Namibia is a net exporter of capital, the country has a substantial investment gap. He added that much of the growth projects and investment in key sectors such as mining are financed from abroad, while the country’s own capital flows out.
“We should be able to provide a policy environment for addressing this contradiction without compromising the business imperative and pension fund returns,” he stressed.