MARIENTAL – The Mariental Local Economic Development Agency and the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) held a consultative meeting to work out modalities for the public-private dialogue planned for early next year.
The consultative meeting that was held on Tuesday was held in close cooperation with the Municipality of Mariental.
The main objective of the public-private dialogue initiative is to promote cooperation between upcoming entrepreneurs and established business people to enhance economic development in Mariental and the surrounding villages.
Chairman of the Local Economic Development Agency, Basie Kooper, said at the occasion there is need for consultation between small and medium businesses and their established counterparts in order to address the issue of poverty and high unemployment in the Hardap Region.
He said the private and public sectors are in agreement that a dialogue is needed early 2014 so that all available resources can be utilized collectively for the development of Mariental.
The dialogue planned for early next year will make Mariental the first town to hold such discussions in 2014, said Kooper.
Kooper further said the general lack of skills for business limits the potential of Mariental to develop to its full capacity, while the lack of enough serviced land is also a contributing factor to the present lack of development at the town.
NCCI Mariental Branch Information and Publicity Secretary, Harold Gamatham, proposed communication between Mariental’s community and the municipality be strengthened through regular consultative meetings as in the past so that the community can be sensitized and informed about the development activities planned by the municipality.
“We must strengthen and open up communication channels between the local authorities and the communities in order to take Mariental forward,” Gamatham stated.
Manager of the Mariental Local Economic Development Department, Mazambani Sinvula, also supported the idea of the reintroduction of regular meetings so that the community can be informed about developmental activities.
“ If those platforms were effective communication tools in the past, they should be reintroduced,” said Sinvula.
By Hoandi !Gaeb