Nam BEE policy required

IN an effort to stir debate and urge a national policy on fair distribution of the country’s wealth, the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) has issued this year’s report under the ‘2 BEE or not 2 BEE’ series.

The research paper took into depth the presence of black economic empowerment (BEE) and its progression in Namibia, in the absence of a national policy. The report, which is the culmination of work of six researchers and economists, contains four sectoral reports on the financial, tourism, agriculture and fisheries sectors; and two opinion pieces by Dr Leake Hangala – a prominent local business personality – and Herbert Jauch of the Labour Resource and Research Institute.Researcher Nangula Shejavali said progress in the different sectors towards implementing broad-based BEE was being hampered by the lack of a national guideline.”The lack of a national empowerment policy to guide the country’s BEE process remains to be an issue that effectively undermines the headway made thus far,” she said.The report also highlighted that there was need for BEE to indeed be broad-based, easy to implement and sustainable across all sectors.The financial sector is in the process of putting together a Financial Services Charter in a bid to bring ordinary Namibians into this often exclusive economic sector.The same goes for the tourism sector.However, Cons Karamata – another researcher – pointed out that helping the previously disadvantaged, if done properly, often gave way to positive gains.He said with the establishment of 44 conservancies across the country, the sector was boosting the lives of Namibians at grassroots level, with 200 000 people benefiting.In 2005, N$20 million was generated by tourism-related activities.The Charge D’Affaires of the Finnish Embassy, Seija Kinni-Huttunen, said as sponsors of the project, her embassy would ensure that the report was widely distributed for the benefit of all.”It is our opinion and experience that in order to reach economic development and growth, all citizens should have equal access to prosperity and opportunities,” she said.The Government has contracted Decti Namibia to draw up BEE guidelines within the renamed Transformation for Economic and Social Empowerment Framework (TESEF), which aims at coming up with a totally Namibian policy.According to latest press reports, Decti is currently consulting with the public and private sectors, informal sector and communities with a target to have the framework ready by April next year.The report, which is the culmination of work of six researchers and economists, contains four sectoral reports on the financial, tourism, agriculture and fisheries sectors; and two opinion pieces by Dr Leake Hangala – a prominent local business personality – and Herbert Jauch of the Labour Resource and Research Institute. Researcher Nangula Shejavali said progress in the different sectors towards implementing broad-based BEE was being hampered by the lack of a national guideline.”The lack of a national empowerment policy to guide the country’s BEE process remains to be an issue that effectively undermines the headway made thus far,” she said.The report also highlighted that there was need for BEE to indeed be broad-based, easy to implement and sustainable across all sectors.The financial sector is in the process of putting together a Financial Services Charter in a bid to bring ordinary Namibians into this often exclusive economic sector.The same goes for the tourism sector.However, Cons Karamata – another researcher – pointed out that helping the previously disadvantaged, if done properly, often gave way to positive gains.He said with the establishment of 44 conservancies across the country, the sector was boosting the lives of Namibians at grassroots level, with 200 000 people benefiting.In 2005, N$20 million was generated by tourism-related activities.The Charge D’Affaires of the Finnish Embassy, Seija Kinni-Huttunen, said as sponsors of the project, her embassy would ensure that the report was widely distributed for the benefit of all.”It is our opinion and experience that in order to reach economic development and growth, all citizens should have equal access to prosperity and opportunities,” she said.The Government has contracted Decti Namibia to draw up BEE guidelines within the renamed Transformation for Economic and Social Empowerment Framework (TESEF), which aims at coming up with a totally Namibian policy.According to latest press reports, Decti is currently consulting with the public and private sectors, informal sector and communities with a target to have the framework ready by April next year.