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Lack of transparency frustrates potential investors, businesses – Chamber of Commerce

Lack of transparency frustrates potential investors, businesses – Chamber of Commerce

The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) said that one aspect that frustrates business people and prospective investors, is the long bureaucratic delays, indecisiveness and lack of transparency in terms of access to land, ownership and transfer, especially in urban areas.

Former Chamber President and Director, Dr. Leake Hangala, while speaking on behalf of the Chamber at the 2nd Land Conference in Windhoek urged the Conference to eliminate those bottlenecks as they are delaying the urgently required job creation opportunities.

Dr. Hangala added that the Conference should come up with programmes and agendas that will make land to be used as a means for wealth creation for the state, communities and individuals.

“This can only be done if we can also create collateral value of land especially in communal areas. It is important that the country develops systems and policies regarding title deeds, ownership and land transfer rights. If people are not sure of the status of the land they occupy or are going to occupy, they will not invest in the development of that land but will continue squattering as they believe they are in transit. We must therefore provide ownership systems that give security of tenure,” he stressed.

He added that in today’s competitive world, Namibia does not need to send land reform messages that create doubt and uncertainty.

Furthermore, he added that in as much as land is important for human beings, it is also important for the country’s flora and fauna.

“Our land reform initiatives therefore must reinforce what Namibia is known for- beautiful game reserves, parks conservancies and ecological preservation. Collectively these also contribute to the growth of the economy and job creation through domestic and international tourism,” he said.

The ’s 2nd Land Conference which is convened under the theme “Towards a comprehensive and sustainable land reform in Namibia”, kicked off in Windhoek this week and will conclude on Friday.

The on-going conference will provide a platform for engagement on the successes recorded and challenges encountered during the implementation of the Land Reform Programme and to deliberate on ways and means to tackle the remaining challenges so that Namibia can fully realize the transformation of the land distribution in the country and optimize benefits from the use of land promote economic growth, create jobs and tackle the challenges of poverty and inequities.

The conference comes 27 Years after the first Land Conference which was held in 1991.


About The Author

Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys