Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) is facing a revolt in the north, where a new association wants to step in to protect local businesses against “unfair competition” from foreign-owned entities.
Okalongo businessman Josua Mwetupunga, who is the spokesperson of the newly formed Namibia Local Business Association (Naloba), this week confirmed the association’s existence, saying that it will be launched soon.
He could not confirm or deny a plan to exit the NCCI, or that 250 members were involved, saying a committee would meet on Saturday to discuss the issue.
Mwetupunga said the new association is not against the NCCI or competing with it.
“As local business people we have decided to come up with a new organisation to protect our businesses,” he said.
He expressed dissatisfaction with foreign-owned businesses selling the same products as local enterprises.
“They sell shoes, building materials, clothes and other small products in the same shops. Now they give things to people to sell for them . . . local businesses face unfair competion from foreign-owned businesses,” he said.
Mwetupunga said he expected foreign investors to invest in the local economy and create jobs.
The Namibian has been told businessman Erastus ‘Chicco’ Shapumba is Naloba’s president.
However, attempts to confirm this with Shapumba yesterday were unsuccessful, as he could not be reached for comment.
The association was established on Saturday, with offices at Ongwediva.
A member of the association’s interim committee says the decision by northern business people to leave the chamber was taken after the NCCI’s northern branch was dissolved.
Northern business people felt they were not represented, and that the NCCI in the north is dormant, the source says.
“People want a body that can represent them, because the NCCI consists of foreigners.”
The Namibian has been told the northern business community is expected to leave the NCCI this week.
They have allegedly not been paying their annual NCCI membership fees.
Ben Hauwanga, the NCCI chairperson for the Ongwediva branch, allegedly wanted to resign from his position to concentrate on his businesses in Namibia and Angola.
“The NCCI wanted every town to have its own branch so that the board of directors and the chief executive officer (CEO) would have more power than regional branches,” the source says.
Charity Mwiya, the CEO of the NCCI, says those resigning would be a small group.
She says the chamber has been engaging with the business community, as well as policymakers on its activities.
The business people who may resign are not members of the NCCI, and are unhappy that a woman from the Zambezi region is heading the chamber, she says.
“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 says.
Hauwanga yesterday said he was not aware of the resignation of northern business people from the NCCI.
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