President Hage Geingob has called on the private sector to hold hands with the government to build Namibia’s economy for the benefit of its people.
“Partnership with the private sector is essential if we are to reach our full potential as a country, therefore this partnership with De Beers was excellent as we have witnessed over the years,” Geingob noted.
The president also called on the inclusion of all Namibians to benefit from the diamond industry and not just those hailing from where the diamonds are mined.
Geingob was speaking on Friday during the commissioning of the MV Benguela Gem, one of Debmarine’s diamond exploration vessels which arrived at the Walvis Bay port.
BG, the largest diamond vessel, in the world, is a 177 metre long vessel, with a capacity of 27 000 tonnes when fully loaded and has a 30 year design life.
The N.dollars 7 billion vessel which was built in Romania, was delivered three months ahead of schedule and was 17 per cent under budget. It was built with parts from 27 countries, including some steelwork produced in Walvis Bay.
Debmarine Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Otto Shikongo at the same event highlighted that in some ways, this achievement stands as an example to how much Namibia can achieve as a country.
“The inauguration of the MV Benguela Gem, heralds the beginning of record diamond production from our Debmarine Namibia operations,” Shikongo noted.
He added that Debmarine is making its mark in its quest to make a meaningful and measurable contribution sustainably to Namibia’s development agenda, driven by the desire to a promise to make life better for all Namibians.
According to the CEO, the vessel has created 160 high-skilled jobs for Namibians, which will enable the production of 500 000 carats annually, translating to over N.dollars 3 billion.
“This will make MV BG the biggest contributor to Debmarine Namibia and Namdeb Holdings revenues,” Shikongo said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency