Ministries to be punished for snubbing Namibian products – Nekundi

Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi has cautioned government bodies against procuring goods from abroad when those products are available locally, warning that such practices constitute a “serious offence” and offenders will face disciplinary measures.



Speaking during a tour of Dinapama Manufacturing and Supplies in Windhoek yesterday, Nekundi said the visit formed part of efforts to explore collaboration with local manufacturers and strengthen the country’s industrial capacity.



He underscored Cabinet’s standing decision that ministries are required to procure their supplies through government stores, with priority given to Namibian products. According to Nekundi, sourcing outside government stores – and from foreign producers – is only permitted when a product is not available locally. In such cases, government stores must issue an official letter confirming the item is out of stock.

“It is mandatory that we buy Namibian when such goods are produced locally,” Nekundi said. “If we find that foreign goods were procured while local producers are available, that is a serious offence. We are not going to play with that.”

He further stressed that all tender and bidding documents must now include a clause prioritising Namibian-made goods.



Catalogue of needs

The ministry has instructed government stores to compile a catalogue of all products regularly consumed by ministries. This catalogue, along with a dedicated website listing the commodities purchased by government, will soon be made public.

“This way, entrepreneurs will be able to see which products are in demand, and those with innovative minds can start manufacturing,” Nekundi explained.

Works ministry executive director Titus Ndove said government stores are on track to become the largest in the country, serving as a central hub for ministries and state institutions.

“You can imagine, these are consumer goods and other goods used by government such as uniforms and others. First, of course, what is important for us is to know the information and access the scale of operation,” Ndove said.

Dinapama welcomes move

Dinapama Manufacturing and Supplies managing director David Namalenga welcomed the ministry’s stance, stressing that Namibia can only achieve industrialisation through collaboration with local producers.

“These are significant steps,” he said, cautioning that importers of finished goods often enjoy an unfair advantage, while local manufacturers are constrained by the high cost of sourcing raw materials.

“That situation is highly counterproductive and nonsensical.”

He added that while the sector is not calling for “lawlessness”, meaningful economic reforms – particularly in financing and banking – are essential to build a sustainable local manufacturing base.



Call to manufacturers

Nekundi also used the Dinapama tour to call on manufacturers across Namibia to come forward and introduce themselves.

“We might not know all of them, so we are asking manufacturers to contact us, inform us of what they produce, and where they are based. We will then visit their facilities to familiarise ourselves with their operations, the quality of their output, the jobs they create and the level of value addition they bring,” he said.

He warned that attempts to supply imported products under the guise of “locally supplied” would not be tolerated, emphasising that genuine local sourcing requires a measure of Namibian value addition.

“We must have confidence in our own people. We trust them with our votes – surely, we must also trust them with what they produce,” Nekundi added.