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Manufacturing path to NDP 4 targets

The 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Namibia Manufacturer Assosiation was officially opened on Thursday by Hon. Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Tjekero Tweya at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre.
During the official opening the Deputy Minister made a presentation the new Procurement Bill which had several changes made and will be tabled next year around February. His presentation focused on “Purpose and Implementation [of the Procurement Bill] and the effect it will have on the Manufacturing Industry.”
Tweya in his introduction of the new bill said it will be used as a tool for local development through local participation and sourcing. “The aim of the Procurement Bill is to empower local entrepreneurs as well as improve the lives of the previously disadvantaged,” he added.
He said that the manufacturing industry is and has been the path to development. “The manufacturing industry is the most important cause of economic growth. Services are dependant on manufacturing of goods,” he added.
In his presentation Tweya pointed out that,“The Bill will ensure the application of fair, competitive, transparent and value for money procurement and disposal standards and practices.”
In that respect Tweya said with the promulgation of the Bill, “improvements are bound to occur within the manufacturing industry as the quality of materials acquired will be better to meet the demands of the manufacturing process because of a more fair and transparent procurement process.”

The bill is expected to encourage innovation of new products and also build strong relationships with key suppliers which helps to ensure consistent supply and quality of inputs.
Meanwhile the Chairperson of the Namibia Manufacturers Association, Brian Black in his report said, “I am pleased to inform you that our membership base continues to grow and that it has increased by 50% during the last two years.”
He added,“ I am pleased to report that our first-ever edition of the Manufacturing and Processing Directory has overnight become an important source about all manufacturing and processing activities in our country.”
Despite the achievements enjoyed by the association Black said, “The government’s delay in finalising the long-awaited Public Procurement Bill is a matter of great concern as , in the absence of this important piece of legislation, our members continue to suffer under the loopholes of Act 236 of 1996.”
“Thus I will be failing in my duties if I do not use this opportunity to call on our lawmakers and enforcers, in particular the Ministry of Finance, to ensure that this important procurement enabler for manufacturers, which was initially issued in a draft form in 2010, is finalised without further delays,” he added.

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