Nam seeks more access to EU markets

LOCAL business leaders, the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and parliamentarians Fluksman Samuehls and Erasmus Hendjala, met with a United Kingdom (UK) parliamentary committee visiting Namibia in Windhoek last week.

Led by Ian Davidson the committee which included Lord Richard Faulkner, Baroness Janet Whitaker, Denis Murphy and John Cummings, inquired know from the local business community what specific assistance they could be towards developing the Namibian economy. Davidson said the Namibians have to date, “been backward with coming forward with specifics”.President of the NCCI, Leake Hangala, listed Namibian business concerns topped by access of Namibian products to the UK and European markets, followed by the promotion of more UK direct investment in Namibia and the need for educational assistance particularly in the areas of technology and IT.Faulkner said an increase in the knowledge of Namibian products and their acceptability to British customers was the solution.Ernst Elder of Namibia Breweries pointed out that Namibian companies often have very limited marketing funds.Navin Morar, a businessman and past president of NCCI, stressed the need to promote tourism and encourage people in Britain to visit Namibia.Businesswoman Joan Guriras called for the availability of facilities to promote tourism in Britain and help in increasing Namibian promotional infrastructure there.Faulkner noted that the limited marketing channels in Britain would be an issue the delegation could look into on its return to British soil.NCCI members listed specific concerns off-hand including that the grape industry is looking for bigger quotas to export to Europe, access for Namibian bone-it small stock meat to the UK, access for Namibian bottled water as well as for Namibian venison.NCCI undertook to compile a comprehensive list of specific issues to send to the delegation.Eckard Schleberger, a local businessman exporting plant oils to the Body Shop, highlighted the need to create space for Namibian niche market products in Europe.Faulkner said there was need to form a British-Namibian parliamentarian group to address such issues.Davidson called for future co-operation between Namibia and Britain saying it was the British government’s policy to increase trade with Namibia.Hangala assured the visitors that British companies that base themselves in Namibia would be accepted as full corporate citizens and be included in the NCCI.The British welcomed Namibia’s attempt at economic democracy and wealth creation applauding the country’s approach of trying to enlarge the cake instead of taking away from one to give to another.However they noted that there is a need to increase trade.Hangala said the ownership of the Namibian economy was 90 per cent in the hands of 3 per cent of the population, unemployment was at about 30 per cent, lack of skills and the HIV-AIDS threat.He added that the wheel of empowerment was in motion with affirmative action and companies’ internal training and succession programmes contributing to the momentum.Davidson said the Namibians have to date, “been backward with coming forward with specifics”.President of the NCCI, Leake Hangala, listed Namibian business concerns topped by access of Namibian products to the UK and European markets, followed by the promotion of more UK direct investment in Namibia and the need for educational assistance particularly in the areas of technology and IT.Faulkner said an increase in the knowledge of Namibian products and their acceptability to British customers was the solution. Ernst Elder of Namibia Breweries pointed out that Namibian companies often have very limited marketing funds.Navin Morar, a businessman and past president of NCCI, stressed the need to promote tourism and encourage people in Britain to visit Namibia.Businesswoman Joan Guriras called for the availability of facilities to promote tourism in Britain and help in increasing Namibian promotional infrastructure there.Faulkner noted that the limited marketing channels in Britain would be an issue the delegation could look into on its return to British soil.NCCI members listed specific concerns off-hand including that the grape industry is looking for bigger quotas to export to Europe, access for Namibian bone-it small stock meat to the UK, access for Namibian bottled water as well as for Namibian venison.NCCI undertook to compile a comprehensive list of specific issues to send to the delegation.Eckard Schleberger, a local businessman exporting plant oils to the Body Shop, highlighted the need to create space for Namibian niche market products in Europe.Faulkner said there was need to form a British-Namibian parliamentarian group to address such issues.Davidson called for future co-operation between Namibia and Britain saying it was the British government’s policy to increase trade with Namibia.Hangala assured the visitors that British companies that base themselves in Namibia would be accepted as full corporate citizens and be included in the NCCI.The British welcomed Namibia’s attempt at economic democracy and wealth creation applauding the country’s approach of trying to enlarge the cake instead of taking away from one to give to another.However they noted that there is a need to increase trade.Hangala said the ownership of the Namibian economy was 90 per cent in the hands of 3 per cent of the population, unemployment was at about 30 per cent, lack of skills and the HIV-AIDS threat.He added that the wheel of empowerment was in motion with affirmative action and companies’ internal training and succession programmes contributing to the momentum.