Hidipo Hamutenya, who has been instrumental in the SMEs promotion and development in the country at the time he was a Trade and Industry Minister, called on any SME in the country to knock at his door for advice if it need be.

He was addressing SMEs at the launch of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Namibia Discussion Paper 2004 of the association of SMEs called Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) at Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair on Sunday.

Hamutenya urged local SMEs to move away from small business and to focus on improving their trading into expanded product and service supplies for local and foreign markets.

Hamutenya, who was released from his Foreign Affairs Ministerial portfolio while campaigning for Swapo-party presidential candidate in May this year, said Namibian SMEs need to be vigorous and produce more to supply the outside world, as the domestic market is too small.

He pointed out that at the attainment of Independence the Namibian Government has taken a host of measures with a view to stimulate economic growth and development.

Hamutenya singled out the establishment of the Ongwediva Trade Centre and a number of SMEs Modules and Industrial Parks the Government has established at various centres in the country are some of measures the government taken to facilitated the country's economic growth.

Speaking at the same occasion on behalf of the SMEs, the JCC Chairperson Anne Thandeka Gebhardt said SMEs would make use of Hamutenya's advice.

Gebhardt urged the SMEs that are not doing good business not to surrender, but to find the way out by talking to their counterparts at home and elsewhere.

-Nampa

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