Commerce chamber calls on members to be tax compliant

The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has urged its members, as well as individual members of the public, to use the tax amnesty extension to achieve tax compliance.

This was said by the president of the chamber, Bisey Uirab, at a press conference in Windhoek yesterday.

He said the NCCI was happy with the extension of the amnesty programme to 31 October 2026, as it would help businesses recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought business to its knees, and provide an opportunity to regularise tax compliance in the country.

He said this dovetails with NCCI’s campaign for the revision of the Income Tax and VAT Act, including “the raising of the income tax threshold for individuals from N$50 000 to N$100 000, which was passed in 2024”.

Uirab, flanked by NCCI acting chief executive Helena Mootseng, said starting from 13 February, the chamber will hold elective and non-elective general meetings at branch level in towns across the country’s 14 regions.

This will end with the national annual general meeting and annual gala dinner in Windhoek on 11 April.

“This will provide an opportunity to elect business leaders and representatives for all of the chamber’s 29 branches,” he said.

According to Uirab, these branches are essential in representing private and business sector interests at local level and fostering entrepreneurship in the respective local economies.

“They provide, at a local level, a direct linkage between businesses and local authorities, and in this way help foster an enabling environment for growth and investment,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged that a few branches are either not functional or not operating optimally, which in turn hinders private sector representation at local, regional and national levels.

The board is committed to revitalising these branches, he said.

Highlighting some of the progress made in NCCI’s advocacy efforts, Uirab said besides the Tax and VAT Act amendments, the chamber had engaged policy makers in reviews to strengthen the Namibia investment promotion and facilitation bill to create a more conducive environment for both domestic and foreign investment.

“We are also pleased with the SME Economic Recovery Loan Scheme, especially the relaxed collateral requirements for bankable small and medium enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to qualify for loans ranging from N$50 000 to N$10 million, with accommodative payment schedules”.

He said the NCCI had advocated the revision of the Procurement Act to formalise preferential treatment for youth, women and SMEs in public procurement, which was implemented in 2024.

“The NCCI’s early engagement led to the successful amendment of the Road Fund Act, including the waiving of penalties for truckers in 2022,” he said.

Uirab noted that the chamber is involved in initiatives to encourage private sector adoption of environmental, social and governance standards, and having consultations with key stakeholders to find sustainable solutions to the water shortages that are affecting businesses’ day-to-day operations.

“The NCCI is also consulting to ensure the government’s local content policy supports local businesses, while also attracting all investors to participate in the economy,” he added.

– email: matthew@namibian.com.na