By Benjamin Wickham
WINDHOEK, Feb. 23 — Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) President Bisey Uirab expressed delight in welcoming Finnish business delegates to the “Doing Business with Finland Seminar” on February 21, 2023. The seminar aimed to explore mutual opportunities for business partnerships, specifically in sectors that support Namibia’s industrialization ambitions as envisioned in its Vision 2030.
Uirab acknowledged that commercial relations between Namibia and Finland have existed for a long time and that the NCCI considers Finland an important economic ally of Namibia. He noted that previous business exchange platforms have been organized by the NCCI or with other partners.
One of the initiatives that Uirab highlighted was the establishment of the NCCI Business Women’s Desk in 2012. With support from the Finnish Embassy, the desk focused on promoting sustainable women’s economic empowerment by developing business training materials and facilitating training for several groups of women in the Karas region. By the end of the three-year Finnish-funded project, the NCCI Business-Women’s Desk trained up to 165 women entrepreneurs in the Karas Region.
In 2016, the NCCI organized a business mission to Finland together with the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, one of the institutions that have also benefited from Finnish support. More than 15 local entrepreneurs participated, representing the logistics, tourism, economy, healthcare, ICT, construction, cleantech, research and development, innovation, metal, machinery manufacturing, and forestry sectors. One of the companies involved in bush encroachment, feed processing, and waste management successfully connected with Finnish partners for its project expansion.
Uirab emphasized that increased investment and sustainable economic growth is the common goal for Namibia and Finland. Namibia is rich in natural resources, but the nation understands the importance of diversification, innovation, and a green economy. He believes that Finnish companies have much to offer to Namibia to achieve such goals, especially since Finland is one of the leading clean-tech nations in the world. Uirab expressed confidence that Namibian entrepreneurs will rise to the occasion and create a clean-tech industrial and knowledge-based economy with Finnish expertise and training.
The seminar provided a platform for Namibian businesspeople to be exposed to Finnish expertise, particularly in the specific sectors of focus that support Namibia’s industrialization goals. The NCCI is proud to organize such platforms to help entrepreneurs explore mutually beneficial partnerships and opportunities.
Uirab looks forward to working with the Embassy of Finland and Finnpartnership to strengthen the relationship between Namibia and Finland. This relationship aims to contribute to Namibia’s desired goal of becoming a circular economy, transfer innovative skills to the people, and economically and socially empower and sustain the livelihood of the people. Uirab believes that this relationship will offer mutual benefits in the application of the necessary technology and regulations of the business environment in which we all operate. – Namibia Daily News
