5th ICA African Ministerial Cooperative Conference Mauritius. 1996

Abstract

The most important objective of the Namibian policy regarding co-operatives is to create an economic, legal and institutional environment which is conducive to the development and growth of all types of co-operatives. Most importantly our National Co-operative Policy recognizes that co-operatives are part of the private sector and that they are an important option for socio-economic development, and that co-operatives are not an instrument of the state. Thus our co-operative legislation will be very liberal, concentrating on core values and the methods of decision making without unduly interfering in the business decisions of a co-operative. It will be in line with the Co-operative Principles as reformulated at the ICA Centennial Congress last year, with the exception that joint ventures between co-operatives and non-cooperatives will not be allowed as a co-operative while, however, subsidiary companies may be formed by cooperatives which may be joint ventures. The Policy further recognises that Government cannot and should not do everything for co-operatives and that it must therefore seek, harness and support the active co-operation of the diversity of other organisations that are active in the field of co-operative development, viz. various other relevant Government Ministries, various relevant Parastatals or other financial institutions, various relevant Non-Governmental Organisations, various relevant International Agencies as well as the co-operative movement itself, especially secondary and higher level co-operatives.