STAFF WRITER
Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, says the N$81 million allocation to small business Development under budget vote 15 is not enough to meaningfully support Namibia’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Budget vote 15 is under the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.
Writing on social media last week, Ballotti said he was not given an opportunity to contribute during the budget debate due to time constraints, but felt compelled to weigh in on the debate.
“It is my view that the N$81 million budget is unfortunately not sufficient. The programme plays a key role in driving the Growth at Home strategy, particularly in supporting micro, small and medium enterprises — businesses ranging from very small informal traders to more established local companies,” he said.
Ballotti compared Namibia’s approach with other countries in the region, saying that several nations have dedicated ministries and agencies focused on small business development. These include South Africa’s Department of Small Business Development, Botswana’s Ministry of Entrepreneurship, and Zambia’s Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, among others.
“Now, we do not have any dedicated ministry that leads our entrepreneurial agenda, and we accept. But, we also do not have a dedicated MSME agency,” he said.
He said that the absence of a focused and deliberate micro, small and medium enterprises institution limits efforts to improve access to finance and markets, support skills development, formalise informal businesses and drive economic diversification.
“Honorable Minister (industries, mines and energy) , with humility and respect, I shall advocate for why it is essential that we strongly consider the elevation of this sector,” he said.
Ballotti also called for stronger support of local production, citing the continued presence of imported goods such as bottled water and school uniforms.
“A practical example, we must do away with South African water in Namibia, it can not continue, it must not continue. Secondly, ban school uniforms being imported into Namibia. We have the capacity and we will very quickly scale local manufacturing,” he added.
He further highlighted the role of trade fairs in supporting entrepreneurs, saying that Namibia had around 35 such events in 2024, with potential for more across local authorities.
“These fairs need targeted support and we need to be using these platforms to empower and better support entrepreneurs,” he said.
Ballotti proposed consolidating existing allocations from trade and investment promotion, the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and Small Business Development to establish a dedicated MSME agency.
“From the approved N$139 million budget from Ministry of International Relations and Trade, the approved NIPDB’s N$94 million budget and your approved N$ 81 million that totals N$314 million. Let’s chop up these approved funds and create a dedicated MSME Development Agency,” he said.
He said that such an agency must go beyond administrative functions.
“Honorable Minister, an MSME agency must never merely be an office that hands out BIPA forms, it will be a well resourced, targeted, elevated organisation that will push our job creation agenda,” he said.
“Finally, if we are serious about economic diversification, we need a home for MSME support. I do support your vote, and in the language of the house, I will submit.”
COMMENTS