Business association fears not being heard by Mbumba

The Namibia Local Businesses Association (Naloba) says president Nangolo Mbumba has declined its request to discuss the country’s economy with him.

This comes after Naloba president Erastus Shapumba wrote Mbumba a letter on 25 June, requesting an urgent appointment to discuss issues affecting Namibians’ livelihoods – particularly local businesses.

However, a letter from Moses Pakote, the executive director in the president’s private office, informed Shapumba that the president had prior commitments.

The letter was dated 8 July and has been seen by The Namibian.

Pakote wrote that the matter had in the meantime been referred to the vice president and acting prime minister in consultation with the ministers of finance and public enterprises, urban and rural development, and mines and energy.

Among the issues to be discussed are the recently declared state of emergency in Namibia, high electricity tariffs approved by the Electricity Control Board, unaffordable municipal services, and the lack of affordable land and housing.

Other issues include fuel smuggling into Namibia from Angola, exorbitant repo rates by the Bank of Namibia, the effect of the Namibia Revenue Agency’s operations on local businesses, the restoration of the national airline, and the revision of the Minerals Act.

Naloba vice president Peter ‘Kanu’ Amadhila says Naloba decided to engage the new head of state, because it has already engaged line ministers on numerous occasions without seeing any progress.

“We then decided to engage the appointing authority for action. Seeing that we have been declined, this could mean that he [Mbumba] might step down next year without engaging the business community,” he says.

“The head of state refused to meet with Naloba,” he says.

In May, Naloba met with the minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, after the minister was asked to retract remarks he made during the Namibia International Energy Conference.

Alweendo was accused of insulting the nation by saying Nambians should not feel entitled to natural resources such as oil and gas, but should rather work hard and be competitive.

He was also asked to publicly apologise to all Nambians.

The minister has, however, not apologised or retracted his sentiments.

He has said the government agrees with the association that Namibians should benefit from local mineral resources, but may not agree on how.

“We have to negotiate better deals, depending on how you define it. We are trying, maybe it’s the pace at which we are doing it,” he said at the time.

Naloba during its meeting with Alweendo said it wanted the government to own 50% of all natural Namibian resources.

This would allow Namibians to benefit from the country’s resources, it says.

Amadhila says Naloba is ready to assist the government in negotiating “win-win” agreements.

“Naloba is always shuttered by the percentage the government secures as a direct share in its resources during negotiations, always ranging between as low as three, five or 10 if not zero [percent] in so many cases,” he said yesterday.