Desie Heita
30 November 2011
Windhoek — Taking into consideration the successes of the two investment forums that Namibia held this year in London (UK) and Perth (Australia), the investor conference currently taking place in Windhoek should be a success.
Both the London and the Perth investor conferences took place in conjunction with the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC).
The Perth investor conference, which took place nearly a month ago, has started to yield a number of investment interests according to CBC chairperson, Dr Pascal Dozie.
“And we are talking about multi-million dollar investments. It will happen here and it will happen very fast,” said Dozie.
Namibia is in an overdrive mode to attract meaningful investments that literally translate into job creation, hence the three different investment conferences on three different time zones within one year.
The special theme for the conference, President Hifikepunye Pohamba said, was deliberately chosen to place the forum within the context of the country’s “ongoing initiative to combat unemployment, strengthen the performance of our economy and improve the living conditions of our people”.
CBC representatives noted that the country has always received good reviews with impressive ratings for fiscal and economic planning, good governance, not to mention the very good infrastructure. Yet, it has never really taken full advantage of such good reports.
“The intention is to reap from such favourable ratings,” says the Director General of the CBCouncil, Dr Mohan Kaul.
At present, Commonwealth member countries provide the majority portion of trade with Namibia and the intention is for the trend to continue.
“Namibia, after all, reflects the rise of the Commonwealth of the future,” said Kaul. Dozie said the country has developed a track record of stability, and “it now has the opportunity to diversify its economy, establish itself as an industrialised and knowledge-based economy and reduce poverty and unemployment.”
To achieve this, said Dozie, it is important to have a strong engagement between the public and private sectors. Such engagement is crucial, because it is the Namibian private sector that will drive growth.
As Africa continues to be recognised as the next big thing, along with other emerging markets in Asia, Namibia should aim to take advantage of that, given her current economic standing.
Dozie said Namibia must pat herself on the back because of the very good praise she gets from the World Bank something the Bretton Woods institution rarely does. Dozie likened it to pulling the wisdom tooth.
Interestingly, the investor conference coincides with a four-day biennial African Ports and Maritime Conference in Swakopmund, which Dr Kaul says demonstrates the strategic position of the
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