Indigenous business forum‘restored to previous glory’

The Indigenous Peoples’ Business Forum of Namibia (IPBF) says it will hit the ground running during the second half of this year to fulfil its renewed mandate from the government.

Established in 2006 by business icon John Endjala, the IPBF signed an agreement with the government to help foster an enabling environment for businesses owned by indigenous Namibians.

“However, due to unforeseen changes within both the organisation and the ministry, during the years that followed, the disbursement of the funds to the IPBF ceased, and the body was flung into an array of operational difficulties ,” IPBF chief executive Chrisch Siririka says.

The IPBF’s newly appointed coordinator, Jatjinda Kamuhanga, says: “Not only did this impact the organisation’s purse negatively, but it also led to the departure of some members, since the body was unable to meet some of its needs as per the promised mandate.”

Siririka and Kamuhanga say the organisation has been restored to its previous glory, thanks to a renewed commitment by the government to reinvoke the clauses in their initial partnership agreement.

The chief executive says the organisation and the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade have agreed that the previous agreement is still valid and should be implemented.

The ministry is yet to affirm the above in writing.

“Recently, they told me that they also sought the opinion of the attorney general on the matter, and that the letter is now awaiting the minister’s signature,” Siririka says.

The original agreement says both parties will cooperate in areas of promotion and advancement of the private sector as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and emerging entrepreneurs.

The IPBF has also been tasked with the hosting of consultative forums for information dissemination while building technical and trade capacity to ensure competitiveness in local and international markets.

“This will be accompanied by ensuring members’ participation in local, regional and international trade fairs where Namibian products are to be exhibited,” Kamuhanga says.

Siririka says the IPBF is expected to conduct regular research on the MSME sector, with an emphasis on marketing as well as the sourcing of input and consumer goods.