Govt must respond to business people’s concerns

Women’s Action for Development (WAD) director, Veronica de Klerk, has urged government to respond to concerns from people in the retail business sector over an influx of foreigners they say are taking away their business.

She was speaking at a WAD Field Day at Eenhana in Ohanwena Region last Tuesday where 97 graduands received their certificates after training in a number of fields. She said small and medium business owners have been complaining about foreign business people, especially from China, affecting their businesses, but Government seems reluctant to respond.”Government should respond in time to the concerns by its business people against an increasing inflow of foreigners who are taking away business from them to avoid a build-up of emotions which can destructively explode if not satisfactorily addressed,” De Klerk said.Disharmony in a country could become a major distraction and affect the gains of Independence.She said that situation could throw a country into a tailspin with no progress, and only bitterness as a result.De Klerk added there are a number of lessons to be learned from the detrimental spill-over of emotions of the youth and xenophobic attacks on foreigners in neighbouring countries like South Africa.”We should never allow such serious unrest to happen here in our peaceful country.We should actively guard our peace and ensure that open communication channels exist between people at grass roots level and government, ” she urged.WAD has started establishing a series of “Community Voice” bodies in all 13 regions financed by donor agencies.These would consist of an equal number of men and women who would be trained to work for social change in partnership with all l3 Regional Councils and Local Authorities countrywide.Deputy Safety and Security Minister, Gabes Shihepo, commended WAD for complementing Government’s efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment and urged the graduands to go and bring changes in their communities.She said small and medium business owners have been complaining about foreign business people, especially from China, affecting their businesses, but Government seems reluctant to respond.”Government should respond in time to the concerns by its business people against an increasing inflow of foreigners who are taking away business from them to avoid a build-up of emotions which can destructively explode if not satisfactorily addressed,” De Klerk said.Disharmony in a country could become a major distraction and affect the gains of Independence.She said that situation could throw a country into a tailspin with no progress, and only bitterness as a result.De Klerk added there are a number of lessons to be learned from the detrimental spill-over of emotions of the youth and xenophobic attacks on foreigners in neighbouring countries like South Africa.”We should never allow such serious unrest to happen here in our peaceful country.We should actively guard our peace and ensure that open communication channels exist between people at grass roots level and government, ” she urged.WAD has started establishing a series of “Community Voice” bodies in all 13 regions financed by donor agencies.These would consist of an equal number of men and women who would be trained to work for social change in partnership with all l3 Regional Councils and Local Authorities countrywide.Deputy Safety and Security Minister, Gabes Shihepo, commended WAD for complementing Government’s efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment and urged the graduands to go and bring changes in their communities.