By Lylie Happiness,
Oshakati, Aug. 29 — Vice President Nangolo Mbumba says the economic headwinds that the country has faced should serve as a learning experience for all Namibians.
Mbumba was speaking during the official opening of the Ongwediva trade fair on Sunday where he stood in on behalf of President Hage Geingob.
Mbumba said the outbreak of coronavirus led the town to host the trade fair in a hybrid format.
“The new model adopted by the Ongwediva Trade Fair, comprising a hybrid format of a physical conventional exhibition combined with a virtual platform, is highly impressive and demonstrates a commitment towards technological innovation,” he said.
He emphasised that at a time the country is faced with numerous independent intervening variables and a global economic slowdown, Namibians are challenged to think out of the box and develop new avenues for efficient and effective utilization of economic resources.
Mbumba said over the past two decades, the town of Ongwediva had grown in leaps and bounds, indicative of the rapid development that has taken place in Namibia since independence.
“Despite this progress, we acknowledge that there is still much to be done,” he added.
Mbumba said the overall priority remains to achieve the country’s long-term vision of an industrialised nation developed by its own human resources, with a healthy gross domestic product growth.
