Namibia proposes law to ease private sector participation in national projects

In a bid to rope in the public sector into helping with developmental projects, Namibia has come up with a public private partnership bill.

The bill that was tabled in the National Assembly will among other things regulate how the government awards contracts as well as guidelines on how projects will be run.

According to the bill, previously disadvantaged members of the society and small to medium enterprises will be given priority.

Last week, finance minister Calle Schlettwein who tabled the bill told the Invest in Namibia conference that the country needs about 320 million U.S. dollars for capital projects.

Various Namibian entities also signed more than 11 agreements with private companies for the development of water, energy and housing projects during the conference.

Schlettwein said the bill comes after the realization that government alone cannot fund all the projects and needs the private sector to help.

Although it is the government's key responsibility, he said, to ensure delivery of public services, it cannot do it alone.

The bill provides the formation of committee within the Ministry of Finance that will decide on major contracts. Its duties will be to develop guidelines and approve partnerships.

Those who will serve on this committee are drawn from the private sector and state agencies and will serve for three years.

The committee, according to the bill, will get permission from the Ministry of Finance regarding decisions on partnerships and projects.

All public private partnership projects, the bill states, will be subjected to a two-stage tendering process. Endit