Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pushing for faster policy reforms, improved trade facilitation and reduced investor uncertainty as the country seeks to strengthen its business environment and attract investment.
This emerged during a meeting between the newly constituted NCCI board and Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi in Windhoek on Thursday.
The meeting focused on improving the ease of doing business, accelerating trade-related legislation and strengthening cooperation between government and the private sector.
Newly elected NCCI President Vetumbuavi Mungunda said the Chamber wants closer engagement with government on policy matters affecting business competitiveness and investment.
“We remain committed to working with Government from a policy perspective to help improve the ease of doing business and the competitiveness of the Namibian business sector,” Mungunda said.
He said the Chamber also plans to expand its national footprint by strengthening regional branches and increasing support for micro, small and medium enterprises.
“We also intend to strengthen support to our branches nationwide and to reactivate branches that have been less active in recent years. Today we have close to 30 active branches; our aim is to grow that to about 50 so that the chamber truly represents business across the country,” he said.
Ashipala-Musavyi said government is prioritising legislation aimed at improving Namibia’s investment climate and reducing uncertainty for businesses.
“Government cannot do this alone. We must accelerate the finalisation of the instruments within our portfolio so that we do not prolong uncertainty for investors, businessmen and women,” she said.
The Minister confirmed that government plans to prioritise the Investment Promotion Bill and the Trade Facilitation Bill when Parliament resumes in June.
“When Parliament resumes in June, we will prioritise the Investment Promotion Bill and the Trade Facilitation Bill,” she said.
The discussions also focused on improving trade promotion initiatives for MSMEs, strengthening bilateral engagement with foreign business chambers and ensuring private sector input informs future policy development.
The NCCI said it also wants to establish a permanent platform for structured engagement between government and the private sector through the Ministry of International Relations and Trade.
