Erongo Marine reaches out to marginalised communities – offers assistance on how to access fishing rights
By Natasha Jacha
The Erongo Marine Enterprises as part of its corporate social responsibility, has reached out to some of the poorest regions in the country to assist the underprivileged and marginalised communities to exercise their right to apply for fishing rights.
The enterprise partnered with the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA), which is responsible for the registration of companies, as well as legal entities to facilitate the process of company registration on regional levels.
“After making history last year for being one of the first fishing companies in Namibia to introduce broad-based economic empowerment for our permanent Namibian workers through the establishment of the Erongo Marine Harambee Workers Trust, this year we want to empower vulnerable and marginalised Namibians with the fishing rights applications through the Arechanab Community Trust,” said Erongo Marine Enterprises Managing Director, Dr Martha Uumati.
Despite the fact that the people from the marginalized communities are often excluded, Erongo Marine during the past weeks has been coordinating with the governors of some of the poorest regions such as, Kavango West, Kavango East, Kunene as well as the Daurus Constituency of the Erongo, to identify disadvantaged communities within these regions.
The enterprise will assist these communities with the full application process, including financial costs related to company registration, legal fees, business plan development and even business and governance training should the application be successful.
However, the company will also extend its offer for financial assistance to prospective rights applicants who have already started the process of application, but are hampered by financial constraints only.
“These applicants will only be considered if they fully comply with Government’s agenda of broad-based economic empowerment incorporating the targeted groups as outlined by the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, including youth, women, disabled persons, war veterans, and marginalised communities,” they added.
Uumati said, “We want to make it very clear that this offer is not tied to the condition that Erongo Marine must be the technical partner. Although we are in the horse mackerel industry, applicants are free to partner with any other fishing company and we will still assist them with the company registration. Our aim is purely to give vulnerable communities the opportunity to be able to apply for fishing rights.”
Caption: Managing Director of Erongo Marine Enterprises Dr Martha Uumati in conversation with Kavango East governor, Samuel Mbambo about the fishing company’s corporate social responsibility programme through which it will extend a helping hand to underprivileged prospective fishing rights applicants who find it difficult to register a proprietary limited company.
