Residents of !Gochas Village in Hardap Region have called for the government's intervention for business activity to resume at the !Gochas Business Park.

The Ministry of Industrialization and Trade constructed the million-dollar park in 2015 to enable villagers to tap into the tourism market in the region.

A few years down the line, the Business Park has been standing idle for almost a year after tenants closed shop at the park.

Tenants allegedly vacated their trade and SME facilities at the park over high rental fees and the disconnection of water and electricity by the Village Council over default payments.

Managed by the Namibia Industrialization and Development Agency (NIDA), the business park consists of facilities such as trading stalls, accommodation facilities, an internet café, a small supermarket, and braai areas.

Approached for comment, NIDA's Corporate Services and HR Manager Wessel !Nanuseb blamed the slump in the village's economy on the non-operational business park.
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!Nanuseb acknowledged that water and electricity supplies to the park had been disconnected as the agency was struggling to pay its utility bills with the Village Council because of cash flow constraints.
 
He was, however, quick to add that tenants' failure to honour their monthly rentals, which he described as far below market rates, deprived the agency of cash flow.

The agency said !Nanuseb will review all of the park's business models to suit local conditions.

Model reviews will also look at entering into partnerships with local authorities to co-manage the business parks or donate the infrastructure.