The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has fired a salvo at newly formed business association, NALOBA, highlighting that over recent weeks, false and misplaced allegations have been advanced through the media by misguided individuals and groups purporting to speak on behalf of Namibia’s business sector.
NCCI CEO Charity Mwiya last week highlighted that it was the position of the NCCI THAT NALOBA is free to pursue their agenda so long as their purpose is not to discredit NCCI.
“Such amateurish behaviour cannot be condoned or tolerated,” Mwiya said before further stating that it is factual that this organization and its leadership or the claimed membership are not a breakaway from NCCI.
“For a fact, NCCI is not experiencing loss of membership, so it is unclear where the black businesspeople are departing from. Furthermore, how is it possible for a firm to resign from an association of which it is not even a subscribing or paid-up member? It is not the norm at NCCI to racialize matters, but responding to claims that black businesses have ‘departed ‘ in great numbers the question that begs an answer is how can their membership be substantiated? Such a claim can easily be backed-up with an NCCI membership certificate which is issued annually when a member firm pays its annual subscription,” Mwiya decried.
Mwiya also said that NALOBA claims since January 2022, over 2 000 NCCI members have left to join this unknown body masquerading as a business support organization.
“NCCI membership records reveal that of the 26 businesses who claim to have resigned from the Chamber none are currently members in good standing. Investigation show membership of two lapsed in 2019 due to failure to pay their annual subscription. A further 23 have not been members since the period between 2009- 2018. As for the one remaining firm, there is no record of that enterprise ever applying to be an NCCI member,” Mwiya said.
Concerning a claim that NALOBA is a competitor organisation to NCCI, Mwiya said that it must be made clear that the Chamber is a voluntary Business Support Organization (BSO) funded largely by members paying an annual subscription.
“Representing Namibia’s business community is not a beauty pageant or contest. Namibian registered and locally managed enterprises, irrespective of their size, sector in which they operate, or ownership structure have the right to apply for NCCI membership. They must pay membership annually to remain members in good standing,” Mwiya said.