Investment board, trade ministry ‘duplication’ discussed

JEMIMA BEUKES WINDHOEKThe biggest task facing Namibia’s infant investment board is to prove that it is not a duplication of the trade ministry and that has a legitimate role to play.President Hage Geingob this week said the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) has his full support and urged Namibians to give it a chance to prove itself before they judge it too harshly.Geingob told board CEO Nangula Uaandja there should be no duplication of functions between the board and other government ministries, offices and agencies.“We talk about government bureaucracy, but as you are starting, are you starting a new bureaucracy? Are you trying to replace the ministry and duplicate what is already there? You ought to answer those questions.“You were hired because you are skilled and are educated. We didn’t have people in government with skills maybe in these areas, now the board is looking for experts. How do you justify that? A lot of money is going to be paid. You were hired from private sector yet you are saying you must get the skills from somewhere else,” Geingob said.Working togetherUaandja responded that she is aware of the concerns around the potential duplication of roles, adding that their duty is mostly a coordinating role and making sure engagement takes place with investors.She said the skills they are looking for are not for the board but for the country and for the utilisation of investors.“This is a new board and, of course, there will be blurring of lines and you need to ensure that when you work together, you identify where the lines are. You need constant communication and be aware that trade and investment are intertwined and therefore there has to be cooperation.“To some extent, we have to work together on many things,” she said.Meanwhile, to ensure smooth succession, each board executive will for six months - on a rotational basis - deputise Uaandja as the CEO.This is according to the board’s strategic plan for the next 24 months, which was presented to Geingob on Tuesday.NIPDB has appointed an advisory board - which comprises of independent non-executive individuals - to represent the president by assisting him to oversee the board’s operations.As CEO, Uaandja serves as the chairperson of both the advisory board and executive board and reports directly to the president, while the advisory board reports to both the Office of the President and the public enterprises ministry.The Namibia Investment Promotion Act (NIPA) gives the NIPDB its powers and authority to act. ChallengesThe board’s strategic plan pointed out that some of its weaknesses include its limited resources and the fact that delivery requires collaboration with government, which has a different pace than the private sector.The team also lacks political experience and has no ownership of policies that will promote a business-friendly environment and security of tenure remains a challenge.There is also the risk of governance and the likelihood that NIPDB staff may abuse their access to privileged information.The plan highlighted key threats as slow-moving policy and regulatory environment and the risk that current governmental agencies may perceive NIPDB as a threat to their existence and might resist the realisation of the board. jemima@namibiansun.com

Investment board, trade ministry ‘duplication’ discussed

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Investment board, trade ministry ‘duplication’ discussed

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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