Africa-Press – Namibia. DESPITE the poor turnout at the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) meeting at the Ongwediva Trade Fair Centre on Monday, NCCI president Bisey /Uirab described it as fruitful.
The poor turnout can be attributed to a number resignations from the NCCI by business people who formed a new association – the Namibia Local Business Association (Naloba), which is expected to be officially launched at Ongwediva on Friday.
Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, /Uirab said he expected about 100 people but only about 50 attended the meeting. Those who also attended the meeting, however, say the figure was closer to 30.
“The meeting was relatively well attended, there was no problem and we will issue a statement about our visit to the north. We had excellent meetings, very fruitful, great discussions where great ideas were shared to see how we can bring up the economy. I am very happy with the outcome of the meetings,” said /Uirab.
“We had prominent business people who attended, they shared great ideas, and we had the meeting with the regional political leadership, the governors, the mayors and CEOs. People are united,” /Uirab added.
Chairperson of the Ongwediva branch of the NCCI Ben Hauwanga said many business people did not attend the meeting because it was called on short notice.
“People were not informed, it was an urgent meeting, they did not communicate to members,” he said.
Northern businessman Paavo Amwele, who is also the Ondangwa mayor, told The Namibian yesterday that he and Ondangwa Town Council CEO Ismael Namgongo were due to meet the NCCI delegation yesterday but he refused to attend the meeting.
“That is not the real NCCI. It’s nonsense. The current NCCI leadership has not been voted for. There was a previous leadership, which was led by Thomas Indji. People fraudulently elected each other.
“Indji was never given a chance to speak. I was the chairperson for the Ondangwa branch. I just heard that they already replaced me. The current NCCI is not a genuine business representative body.”
Amwele said the current leadership are undermining northern business people because they want each town to have its own branch which directly reports to the NCCI headquarters.
“This is an attempt to weaken us.”
Speaking to The Namibian last month, NCCI CEO Charity Mwiya said the northern business people alleged to have left the organisation are a small group.
“It’s a congress year and they want to put politicians under pressure. I would understand if someone asked what was delaying the enactment of the investment bill. Those are key issues. It’s a pity that we want to take this premature and emotional project seriously when we have the issue of economics that needs all of us to speak together at a table,” she said.
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