The inaugural Namibia Public-Private Forum (NamPPF) was held last week, convening close to 500 delegates from both the public and private sectors for a high-level, solution-oriented dialogue. Hosted under the theme “Public-Private Dialogue to Drive Decent and Sustainable Job Creation: Enhancing Namibia’s Competitiveness, the session was chaired by Her Excellency Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia.
The NamPPF is a Cabinet-approved platform created to foster practical, joint responses to Namibia's economic challenges, with a particular focus on enhancing the nation's competitiveness and ease of doing business, towards ensuring a conducive business and investment climate for employment creation.
In her closing remarks, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasised that the Forum marks a turning point from dialogue to delivery, calling for collective discipline, urgency, and consistency in implementing the commitments made. She commended the spirit of unity, openness, and trust between government and business, asserting that progress requires a partnership based on mutual accountability and a shared goal of national development.
The President outlined a series of directives to ensure immediate action, including strengthening agricultural capacity through the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS), fast-tracking the Migration Bill, improving airport and visa processes to ease travel and investment, and introducing digital solutions for work and study permits by April 2026. She further underscored the country’s determination to harness strategic sectors such as mining, energy, and agriculture for sustainable development.
The President also reaffirmed commitments to support Namibia’s creative industries through the Copyright Bill and highlighted the importance of innovation, skills development, and digital readiness as engines for inclusive economic growth.
In conclusion, the President announced the following immediate interventions to be implemented to address the constraints raised during the Forum, with the aim of enhancing the business climate in Namibia. These are as follows:
- To improve service efficiency, a business One-Stop Centre will be launched by November 2025, to be located at the BIPA premises (former SME Bank building).
- The implementation of corporate tax reforms was confirmed, including the reduction of the standard tax rate from 32% to 28%, with preferential rates of 20% for SMEs and 15% for businesses operating in Special Economic Zones.
- New Task Forces on Economic Recovery, Health, and Housing will be established to drive implementation, monitor progress. They are to report directly to the President by January 2026.
- Her Excellency directed the National Planning Commission and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board to ensure continuous tracking and implementation of NamPPF deliverables.
Watch Her Excellency’s full closing remarks here: https://youtu.be/X7-kOF1Sd40
Or read the full speech here: http://bit.ly/47PnKQy
