Namibia counts cost of Ramatex closure

The sudden closure of the Malaysian Ramatex textile factory in Windhoek, Namibia, with the loss of 3,000 jobs, has led to a good deal of recrimination within Namibian political and commercial circles and debate as to whether the government made too many concessions in order to obtain the factory in the first place. While Namibia counts the cost, one of the questions being asked is whether there has been any net gain in technology transfer terms, through the acquisition of new technical skills by the company's mainly female workforce.