Plans to promote business at local level

AN opportunity has arisen for businesses operating in the Otjozondjupa Region to undergo a year-long management training programme aimed at boosting and developing mainly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Dr Rainer Trede of Development Consultants for Southern Africa (Decosa) – which runs the Training, Opportunities, Practice course, popularly known as Top Namibia – said the courses have been run annually in different regions for the past four years, at a cost of between N$500 000 and N$600 000 per course per year. Briefing journalists at a press conference held at the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry head office in Windhoek on Friday, Trede said the programme had to date been ‘successfully executed’ in the North Central, Caprivi and Kavango regions.”Top Namibia aims at promoting private economic development on a local level through the upgrading of management competencies,” he said.Entrepreneursfrom the SME sector – who are operating established, small or starting businesses – are invited to apply for the course and undergo interviews from which 25 will be selected for training.The focus, though, is mainly on SME operators from the rural areas.The programme, based on practice-oriented workshops, aims at equipping participants with business owners with necessary skills that will boost their work.Implementation of what participants would have learned during the course is continuously assisted and monitored.Trede said the main objectives of the course were that participants should learn to formulate new business ideas, aggressive marketing, improve on competitiveness, to substitute imports with local products and create employment.The Otjozondjupa Region installment of Top Namibia is due to start in Okakarara where a series of workshops will be held from November 21 until towards the end of next year.Facilitators running the course, will come from Decosa and local trainers, experts in particular fields that will be under the spotlight and past participants.NCCI Chief Executive Officer, Tarah Shaanika said Top Namibia was a welcome initiative which was benefitting members of his organisation.Sixty per cent of NCCI membership comprises of SMEs.Top Namibia Project partners working with Decosa are the NCCI, the Ministry of Education, InWent and Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst.Briefing journalists at a press conference held at the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry head office in Windhoek on Friday, Trede said the programme had to date been ‘successfully executed’ in the North Central, Caprivi and Kavango regions.”Top Namibia aims at promoting private economic development on a local level through the upgrading of management competencies,” he said.Entrepreneursfrom the SME sector – who are operating established, small or starting businesses – are invited to apply for the course and undergo interviews from which 25 will be selected for training.The focus, though, is mainly on SME operators from the rural areas.The programme, based on practice-oriented workshops, aims at equipping participants with business owners with necessary skills that will boost their work.Implementation of what participants would have learned during the course is continuously assisted and monitored.Trede said the main objectives of the course were that participants should learn to formulate new business ideas, aggressive marketing, improve on competitiveness, to substitute imports with local products and create employment.The Otjozondjupa Region installment of Top Namibia is due to start in Okakarara where a series of workshops will be held from November 21 until towards the end of next year.Facilitators running the course, will come from Decosa and local trainers, experts in particular fields that will be under the spotlight and past participants.NCCI Chief Executive Officer, Tarah Shaanika said Top Namibia was a welcome initiative which was benefitting members of his organisation.Sixty per cent of NCCI membership comprises of SMEs.Top Namibia Project partners working with Decosa are the NCCI, the Ministry of Education, InWent and Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst.