Let us work towards Vision 2030

IF Namibia wants to be an industrialised nation by 2030, the country’s economy has to grow at a significantly faster pace than the current Gross Domestic Product growth average of 3,5 per cent over the past five years.

This is the view of Inge Zaamwani, President of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI). Zaamwani made these remarks while addressing delegates who gathered to attend the organisation’s 15th annual general meeting in Windhoek at the weekend.Zaamwani said Namibia could find it difficult to realise the goals of Vision 2030 if the economy did not grow by at least nine per cent a year until 2030.She urged the Government, private sector, labour and other stakeholders to work together in tackling the issues of HIV-AIDS, high unemployment, poverty, shortage of skills and low economic growth with courage and determination.”Economic growth remains lower than the required level of growth that can make a significant dent into unemployment and wealth creation.Our skills base continues to be weak, while participation of the majority in the mainstream of the economy is marginal or hardly existent.Our biggest challenge as a nation is to expand and diversify our economy to be able to absorb the unemployed majority into the productive economy and empower our people,” she said.Zaamwani urged both the public and private sectors to act speedily in facilitating opportunities for ‘real’ black economic empowerment in the country.She also said that no country could be successful without a strong indigenous economic base, saying the establishment of indigenous enterprises would have to be done jointly by the Government and the private sector.Zaamwani made these remarks while addressing delegates who gathered to attend the organisation’s 15th annual general meeting in Windhoek at the weekend.Zaamwani said Namibia could find it difficult to realise the goals of Vision 2030 if the economy did not grow by at least nine per cent a year until 2030.She urged the Government, private sector, labour and other stakeholders to work together in tackling the issues of HIV-AIDS, high unemployment, poverty, shortage of skills and low economic growth with courage and determination.”Economic growth remains lower than the required level of growth that can make a significant dent into unemployment and wealth creation.Our skills base continues to be weak, while participation of the majority in the mainstream of the economy is marginal or hardly existent.Our biggest challenge as a nation is to expand and diversify our economy to be able to absorb the unemployed majority into the productive economy and empower our people,” she said.Zaamwani urged both the public and private sectors to act speedily in facilitating opportunities for ‘real’ black economic empowerment in the country.She also said that no country could be successful without a strong indigenous economic base, saying the establishment of indigenous enterprises would have to be done jointly by the Government and the private sector.