WINDHOEK – The Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development has identified a tomato paste project that will directly benefit members of the Tsandi Constituency in the Omusati Region. 

This is according to Lucia Iipumbu, Deputy Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development who was speaking in the Tsandi Constituency on Saturday, March 30, during belated independence celebrations there. 
Iipimbu told the gathering that her ministry had identified a few projects that will create employment for the residents of the constituency, one of which is a processing plant to produce tomato paste. 

“This project will create a business for the small-scale farmers who will be able to sell their produce to the Omahenene factory,” said Iipumbu. 

In addition, she stated that her ministry is also in the process of identifying local tailors to champion school uniform production. “Cabinet has taken a decision to close the borders to school uniform importation, a deliberate decision aimed at empowering our citizens,” said Iipumbu. 

She added that at Independence some two thirds, or approximately 70 percent of the population, were living in conditions of abject poverty, according to 1991 World Bank figures. 

However, she pointed out that post-independence, all Namibians are equal before the law and said government understands the effects of colonialism and therefore introduced legislation such as Affirmative Action and the NEEEF policy to reduce the economic inequality. 

Meanwhile, Iipumbu informed the gathering of the N$66 billion national budget tabled in Parliament last week, saying it is a budget aimed at increasing developmental outcomes for this year. 

“This year we will also see an increase in old-age pension increasing to N$1250, signifying how government wants to pay attention to our pensioners. I therefore, want to call on all of us to support government and to demystify the propaganda being said that the country is bankrupt or state funds are being abused, it is a lie,” said Iipumbu.

Iipumbu concluded that the building of the Tsandi community is not entirely up to government and therefore acknowledged the work being done by traditional authority leaders, business people and the community at large within Tsandi Constituency. 
“All of us are partners in bringing development and we should never think we have different responsibilities. Namibia belongs to all of us who live in it and we ought to protect it,” Iipumbu concluded.