Sankwasa calls for local procurement to be prioritised

GOBABIS, 24 MAR (NAMPA) - Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa has labelled the awarding of tenders to foreign companies by regional and local procurement committees as “unacceptable,” accusing them of failing the country by neglecting local companies.
Speaking here on Monday at the opening of a week-long induction workshop for local authority leaders and CEOs from the Omaheke and //Kharas regions, Sankwasa called for a shift toward “Namibia first” procurement strategies.
“In many cases, the companies are owned by people who are not even registered voters in Namibia. This requires constant monitoring by elected councillors,” he said.
He said foreign nationals frequently benefit from national tenders under the pretext of superior track records or lower costs, often at the expense of local industrialisation.
“The time for ‘Namibia first’ has come. Charity begins at home but it does not end there,” he said, adding that procurement must align with the Public Procurement Act 15 of 2015, which is designed to empower Namibian-registered SMEs, women, and youth while fostering job creation.
Sankwasa further cautioned officials against a surface-level interpretation of “Namibian-registered companies and urged them to investigate majority shareholdings.
He highlighted a recurring issue where local firms enter joint ventures with foreign entities only to be bought out before project commencement. To address historical economic imbalances and past racial discrimination, the minister stated that he expects to see the robust application of Affirmative Action in all future contract allocations, moving beyond rhetoric to achieve tangible economic participation for disadvantaged citizens.
(NAMPA)
ZN/AS/EK