WINDHOEK – The date for the 2019 Namibia Economic Summit, as announced by President Hage Geingob during the last state of the nation address, has been confirmed to will take place on July 31 and August 1, 2019. One of the summit’s objectives is to attract investments during the next two years worth US$1 billion by both local and foreign investors.
It is anticipated that the new investments would contribute towards economic revival and create much-needed employment opportunities.
The two-day event, under the theme ‘Economic Revival for Inclusive Growth – Strengthening the Namibian House’, is aimed at reviving and growing the domestic economy, creating job opportunities, attracting investment, promoting the country as an attractive investment and tourist destination and identifying and removing bottlenecks that are slowing the growth of the economy.
The summit, which is being organised by the high-level panel on the Namibian economy, targets local, regional and international investors, the private sector, development partners, financial institutions, industry leaders, the youth and organised labour. About 600 delegates from across the country, Africa and the world will be invited to attend the event. The upcoming summit is expected to provide a platform to showcase growth and investment prospects in the local economy, as well as present local and international investors with a portfolio of investment projects in several sectors. It will also be a platform for information exchange and dialogue between government, local and international business and civil society leaders and stakeholders.
According to the organisers, provision has been made for speakers as well as panel discussions to debate topical issues on the growth of the Namibian economy to address poverty, inequality and unemployment. The organisers emphasised that the summit is a genuine effort on the part of the government to augment and supplement interventions aimed at growing the economy.
The summit will also cater for concurrent breakaway sessions to debate public-private partnerships to revive the construction sector, investment in infrastructure projects to help stimulate growth, employment creation, manufacturing and unlocking agriculture to attain sustainable food security. About two months ago President Geingob appointed a 22-member High Level Panel on the Namibian Economy, chaired by veteran economist Johannes Gawaxab and comprising of three international experts. The panel, which is essentially a restructured Presidential Economic Advisory Council, have been appointed on a one-year term and has been drawn from government, the private sector, academia, labour and youth.