NCCI president Bisey Uirab says the government has undertaken to enact the local content policy to provide a framework for optimising and maximising the benefits presented by the oil and gas industry.
Uirab, who gave the keynote address at the Namibia Local Content Conference at Luderitz, said that through this policy, the government aims to develop backwards and forward linkages of local industries to these emerging sectors.
The conference’s theme is Empowering Namibia’s Energy Ambitions by Connecting Industry and Indigenous Talent.
The NCCI is partnering with the Antila Consultancy, which organised the conference.
“Strong economic linkages will ensure that reliable, local inputs are supplied to these industries, thereby contributing positively to the growth of the local economy.
“Furthermore, strong linkages will ensure that the growth in these emerging industries provides both direct and indirect benefits to other sectors of the economy,” Uirab said.
He said Namibia’s natural resource industries, such as the mining sector, currently have low linkages to local industries.
Uirab cited the just-ended NDP5 as an example that acknowledged this challenge and further provided for deliberate interventions to deepen local industry participation along the mining sector supply chains.
According to Uirab, among the interventions envisioned under NDP5 was increasing local content inputs to the mining sector’s N$14 billion annual input requirement.
He added that much of the industry’s physical goods and services input requirements are sourced outside the country, requiring concerted efforts.
“The emerging oil and gas industry presents an opportunity for sustainable economic growth and development in our country,” he said.
According to Uirab, the conference presents a significant opportunity for all stakeholders to engage and share ideas that seek to identify opportunities that stand to be optimised for the benefit of our country.
Uirab said the conference is timely for public and private sector players to get ready to utilise the opportunities from exploiting petroleum natural resources.
“This gathering represents a pivotal moment for our nation’s energy sector and underscores the critical role that collaboration and partnership play in driving sustainable development and growth for Local Content Development,” he said.
He added that the conference serves as a platform for stakeholders from across Namibia’s energy sector and other interlinked sectors to come together, share insights, and explore opportunities for local content development.
