Commerce Chamber calls on businesses to provide input to address economic challenges
The Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on businesses to provide input progressive to propel towards the realization of the business agenda and stimulate the economy.
Martin Shipanga, the Chambers’ Windhoek Branch Chairman said a serious scenario is facing businesses as some have closed doors, have been hit with industrial strikes, retrenched workers and generally lost out on business against foreign businesses that have the advantage of price and market bullying and access.
“There is a need for policy interventions. The current status quo is that policies disadvantage locals. There is a need for deliberate policy shift in procurement. In attracting and managing foreign direct investment and in deliberately stimulating and protecting local economic activities,” Shipanga added.
Shipanga further stressed that the national and corporate budget needs interrogation and identify where this trend is currently going and to see whether it is benefiting local economic players.
“The trading sector has been the traditional backbone of local business and a deliberate support mechanism should be developed to support local traditional trading businesses. We have been a nation of traditional traders before independence. We are calling on government to immediately act upon the key economic issues as identified in policies, participation of locals in infrastructure development, trading sector, tourism, health, mining, logistics and agriculture. To interrogate the status quo and immediately fix the policies that creates a disadvantage for local companies,” Shipanga said.
The Chamber will set up working teams from all regions to provide detailed inputs for action and possible intervention.
