2016-06-21Staff Report 2 Lüderitz !Nami#nus Constituency Councillor Jan Scholtz says Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face many challenges in their quest to join the country’s economic mainstream. He says they face difficulties, such as lack of access to finance, lack of marketing skills, as well as lack of appropriate infrastructure that could enable SMEs to operate optimally. Scholtz made the remarks during the recent official opening of a capacity-building workshop for sub-contractors and SMEs hosted by the Lüderitz Waterfront. Scholtz said he is confident a united force of SMEs will be able to overcome the challenges and contribute to the socio-economic development of Lüderitz and the //Karas Region. He believes there is a need to uplift the quality of service delivery, quality control, ans well as standards of hygiene and financial control, even in the informal sectors of the economy. He emphasised that subcontractors/SME’s and service providers should be skilled in the management of their operations in order to serve better, trade better and become more efficient enterprises. “I, therefore, wish, to challenge the workshop attendants to think far and wide regarding practices that can be described in sum total as positive thinking, or positive attitude. In my view and as a layman, positive attitude and thinking and action involve that we should not work in isolation, but rather maximise synergies with similar stakeholders in the economic sectors of the region, or the country, and also striving for excellence in one’s profession,” he opined. He further said poverty, which affects many communities and households throughout the country, threatens the social fabric and compromises peace and stability in the country. The social norms and rule of law are threatened because of high unemployment, which robs the youth of hope for a better future. Lüderitz Waterfront hosted the one-day capacity building workshop for Lüderitz based sub-contractors and SMEs. It was facilitated by a team of expert consultants, who have gained a wealth of knowledge in multi-million infrastructural developments. The core business of the Lüderitz Waterfront centres on the acquisition and development of mixed-use sea view properties. With the growth of its infrastructure comes multiple challenges, such as local involvement in the construction of various construction works and the subsequent provision of maintenance services. The main aim of the workshop was to outline the key issues related to contract management and how best local contractors can prepare to participate meaningfully in the major ongoing and mooted waterfront development projects. 2016-06-21Staff Report 2
