Denis Manuel
It is indisputable that Namibians have so much talent that this whole nation could benefit from. Something that can help the country’s economy to blossom if government relax some policies set as a requirement for one to acquire a business loan.
Not so long ago, we just saw Christine Mboma flourishing and becoming one of the greatest sprinter of her time. Did anyone know that she could get where she got today? Two years ago, did we know that a girl called Mboma existed? You never know how many Mbomas are still out there.
Yes, I do agree with the President’s statement where he pinned on us saying aloud that “the government is not God” thus, it cannot give you a job.
The question is, do we understand the term “opportunity creation?” I am sanguine that at some point our policymakers do not understand this term.
As a matter of fact, it is an obvious thing that the government alone cannot create employment for every citizen but opportunity creation may be a key solution to some of the nightmares that the government has to endure on a daily basis.
Allow me to break this down, my point here is that many people have graduated and still have not found employment, hence adding to the already existing high number of unemployment in the country.
The government has initiated several projects that are aimed to help source out funds for young professionals to help them set up their businesses. I am mainly going to have my focus on commercial banks such as Agribank, Development Bank of Namibia to mention a few.
These banks have the mandate to give out loans to Namibians who wish to embark on an entrepreneurial journey respectively.
However, when you approach these banks, the whole situation changes, as there are a lot of requirements for you to have access to that loan.
Mind you, how can a start-up businessman/woman provide a six months business banking statement if he/she never had an existing business before? That is one of the requirements for you to get a loan from any financial entity, which is much of a frustration to many.
Opportunity creation does not necessarily mean that you provide someone with a job. Sometimes all you have to do is just avail someone with the required resources in order to create something for themselves. Many youths are trying to be more creative by coming up with various initiatives but these initiatives do not prosper due to a lack of resources.
If banks or financial institutions really help entrepreneurs, then they should revise some of their requirements as they hinder many capable people and potential business people with lucrative business ideas from accessing funds to start their businesses.
Another thing is that there is a lack of trust from financial lenders, which is understandable, but the reality is that we are killing one another, which is a sad truth. For this fourth industrialisation, we really need as a nation to empower the youths, as they are the future leaders of the next generation.
*Denis Manuel is a TV Producer at Namibian Broadcasting Corporation and all words expressed here are of his views and sentiment.