REPORT
NCCI 6TH ANNUAL ECONOMIC REVIEW
Date: Tuesday, 5th December
2000
1. INTRODUCTION:
NCCI organised the 6th
Annual Economic Review on Tuesday, 5th
December 2000. The objective of the review was to provide opportunity to
private sector to rate the performance of specific sectors for 2000 (in terms
of sectoral targets made), to isolate problems and constraints faced and to
make projections for the 2001 season. The review, which was supported by
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), is an annual event where major sectors of the
Namibian economy are reviewed, preceded by a macro-economic overview. This
event also provides an opportunity for private sector to isolate policy and
other measures to the pursued by the NCCI in the New Year. With the establishment
of Standing Committees in November 2000, the Annual Economic Review certainly
provides opportunity for the Standing Committee Agenda for the New Year to be
informed.
2. 6TH ANNUAL ECONOMIC
REVIEW:
About 89 participants including staff
members, speakers (panelists), company representatives and the press attended
this year’s annual economic review, chaired by the President of NCCI, Dr. Leake
S. Hangala. Following are details of speakers and sectors addressed by the
panelists:
|
Topic/Sector |
Presenter |
Position/Company/Institution |
|
Macro Economic Review |
Ms. D. Anjaneyule |
Chief Economist (Bank
of Namibia) |
|
Agriculture |
Mr. G. Grobler |
Executive Director
(Namibia Agricultural Union) |
|
Mining |
Mr. K. Kapwanga |
President (Chamber of
Mines) |
|
Tourism |
Mr. M. Webbowen |
Secretary (FENATA) |
|
Fishing |
Mr. R. Gabeiras |
Managing Director
(CADILU FISHING) |
|
Finance: Banking |
Mr. J. Swanepoel |
President (Bankers
Association of Namibia) |
|
Finance:
Investment/Insurance |
Mr. D. Conway |
Deputy Chairperson
(Life Assurance Ass. of Namibia) |
|
Energy: Electricity |
Mr. I. Hoogenhout |
Senior General Manager
(Nampower) |
|
Energy: Petroleum |
Mr. F. Bajomo |
Managing Director
(Shell Exploration & Production) |
|
Telecommunication |
Mr. F. Jacobs |
General
Manager – Marketing & Business Development (Telecom Namibia) |
|
Construction |
Mr. P. Postema |
Managing Director
(Stocks Building Namibia) |
|
Transport |
Mr. D. Uys |
General Manager (Du
Toit Transport/NAMROADS) |
|
Information Technology |
Mr. T. Schoemans |
Director (Schoemans
Office Systems) |
|
Manufacturing |
Mr. J. Venter |
Chairman (Assoc. of
Namibia Manufacturers) |
|
SME |
Mr. P. Bruhns |
Coordinator (Joint
Consultative Committee) |
|
Trading |
General Manager
(Pupkewitz Holdings) |
The presentations reported mixed
performance of various sectors with the transport sector indicating specific
influences as a result of the fuel price increasing during 2000. Positive
growth prospects were projected for 2001 for most of the sectors reviewed. The
following is a short summary of issues raised during discussions:
Tourism: Security situation in the north east of
Namibia. The issue of crime although the rate is low compared to other Southern
African destinations, effect of the regional problems on the Tourism market.
Security of investment in the Tourism Sector.
Agriculture: Positive prospects in terms of marketing opportunities for Namibia meat, especially in the light of “food & mouth”-disease outbreak in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa and the “mad-cow”-disease problem in Europe. Implication of the closing of South African border for meat imports from Namibia.
Energy: Extra business opportunities to result from
Kudu-gas initiative. Prospects for Wind-Energy Park in Luderitz and Solar
Energy Generation in Namibia.
Construction: HIV/AIDS impact on the Construction Industry
and the local industry’s capacity to undertake projects such as the power-line
construction for NAMPOWER.
Fishing: The effect of the
EU/RSA Agreement on the marketing of fish in Europe.
3. POLICY ISSUES ISOLATED FOR NCCI
The following constituted a number of key policy issues isolated by the presenters for the NCCI to follow-up in 2001:
q Anti-dumping and competition legislation (infant industry
protection as it relates to local manufacturing interests, unfair trade practices
in SACU and of course the associated lack of national and SACU-wide competition
policy).
q HIV/AIDS and its impact on private sector activities ( in
relation projected impact on skills, loss of human resources and generally
economic performance)
q Instability/Security situation (crime as it affects the
tourism industry, general security situation in the north east and its impact
on the tourism industry)
q Dialogue with government (the need for constructive dialogue
with for the promotion of private sector interests and economic development and
growth of Namibia).
4. CONCLUSION:
The objectives of the 6TH
Annual Economic Review were achieved in that companies who participated in the
event were adequately briefed on the performance of major sectors of the
Namibian economy while a number of key issues for NCCI advocacy agenda for 2001
were also identified.
While the presentations generally
projected positive growth prospects for the economy in general, a number of concerns
were raised that features in most of the presentations. Key concerns focus on
unfair competition from outside (damping and other forms of unfair trade
practices), dialogue with government (the need to increase), protection for
infant industry, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the activities of private
sector.
Key recommendations were made in terms
of improving the Annual Economic Review in terms of ensuring the participation
of other stakeholders, i.e. government and labour (including a specific
presentation focussing on the labour sector). The President of NCCI indicated
that a number of key concerns raised must be taken up by private sector in
dialogue platforms and definitely must get incorporated in the Standing Committee
Agenda for 2001.
Report compiled by: Sam Geiseb
(Chief Executive Officer)