No Business As Usual

THERE is a famous saying by the late US President JF Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

Being an unemployed, educated journalist, I decided to do something for my country, instead of sweating it by looking for employment. As is required, I handed in the CC8 form needed for the approval of a company name at the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Close Corporations Registration Division.That was in August 2005.After several fruitless trips to the Ministry of Trade to enquire whether my company name had been approved, I opted to phone before going there.On 21 October 2005, I had a telephonic conversation with a certain woman who informed me to come in person as soon as possible.I then went to the Ministry immediately where she took ten minutes to finish her telephonic conversation begging someone to buy her a fridge, after which I was told to look through two thick postal books to see if my name or company name appeared anywhere.This I did with no results.I was promised a search would be carried out, a promise I doubt, for what I observed during my one-hour “stay” in that office was neither impressive nor professional.As a result of this delay, business people interested in funding my venture are losing patience because time is of the essence to them.Is this a case of somebody stealing my business idea or is it just pure incompetence on the side of the CCR personnel? What am I do to now? Go through the whole registration process again? Dina Gowases WindhoekAs is required, I handed in the CC8 form needed for the approval of a company name at the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Close Corporations Registration Division.That was in August 2005.After several fruitless trips to the Ministry of Trade to enquire whether my company name had been approved, I opted to phone before going there.On 21 October 2005, I had a telephonic conversation with a certain woman who informed me to come in person as soon as possible.I then went to the Ministry immediately where she took ten minutes to finish her telephonic conversation begging someone to buy her a fridge, after which I was told to look through two thick postal books to see if my name or company name appeared anywhere.This I did with no results.I was promised a search would be carried out, a promise I doubt, for what I observed during my one-hour “stay” in that office was neither impressive nor professional.As a result of this delay, business people interested in funding my venture are losing patience because time is of the essence to them.Is this a case of somebody stealing my business idea or is it just pure incompetence on the side of the CCR personnel? What am I do to now? Go through the whole registration process again? Dina Gowases Windhoek