Observer

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Tourism statistics remains a headache

Tourism statistics remains a headache

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) faces challenges in accurately capturing the complete value of tourism in Namibia. This is largely due to the way businesses are categorized, such as the misplacement of airport transport shuttles within the transport category instead of the tourism sector where they rightly belong. This misclassification has led to concerns from various stakeholders who highlight the omission of the entire value chain associated with the tourism sector. “As a result, the sector’s true economic contribution is underestimated in the national accounts. To this end, the Namibia Tourism Board is busy compiling the 6th Edition Satellite Accounts…
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Sweden plans to lift ban on uranium mining

Sweden plans to lift ban on uranium mining

In what is good news for uranium producing countries like Namibia, Sweden’s Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari has announced plans to lift the country’s ban on uranium mining and make way for greater nuclear energy capacity. The Swedish Parliament has shown majority support for a lift on the ban, according to Pourmokhtari. The government plans to build at least ten large reactors in the next 20 years to meet the demand for low-carbon energy. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters in January that the government is “changing the legislation”, which will increase nuclear investment in the country. Swedish ministers decided…
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Namibia, Zambia 24-hour border will help Walvis Bay

Namibia, Zambia 24-hour border will help Walvis Bay

The introduction of a 24-hour border operation between Namibia and Zambia is anticipated to provide a boost to the operations of the Walvis Bay Port. Officials from both Namibia and Zambia are of the opinion that this initiative, launched at the Katima Mulilo border post this week, will be advantageous due to the increasing trade of imports and exports between the Port of Walvis and Zambia as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Zambian Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwiimbu emphasized the timely and strategic nature of the 24-hour operation’s inauguration at the border.…
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Telecom Employees go on strike…demand accountability from management

Telecom Employees go on strike…demand accountability from management

Stefanus Nashama Telecom Namibia employees are demanding that the Board of Directors do their work and hold the company’s management accountable before everything collapses like other public enterprises. The employees along with representatives from the Namibia Public Workers Union (NAPWU), held a peaceful demonstration during lunchtime on Wednesday and vowed to continue until their demands are met. The workers handed over a petition with various demands to the Deputy Chairperson of the Telecom Board, Amanda Hauuanga, who responded that the board would review the document and respond as soon as possible. The workers are accusing the state-owned company’s management of…
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AFRAA to join Focus Africa Initiative

AFRAA to join Focus Africa Initiative

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has announced that AFRAA is joining the Focus Africa initiative. Focus Africa aims to maximize the contribution of aviation to development across the African Continent by better serving passengers and shippers. Under Focus Africa, private and public stakeholders are committed to delivering measurable improvements in six critical areas - safety, infrastructure, connectivity, finance and distribution, sustainability, and skills development. “AFRAA strengthens the Focus Africa coalition as we work to increase aviation’s role in Africa’s development. This has enormous promise. The continent is home to the world’s most rapidly…
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ICT program geared toward skills development

ICT program geared toward skills development

Martin Endjala Namibia and Huawei Telecommunication Technologies last week Friday, launched the Namibia Seeds for the Future 2023 program, an innovative initiative by Huawei to identify and develop talent in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The Seeds for the Future program is a global flagship corporate social responsibility program whose main aim is to cultivate local ICT professionals in the countries where it is operating. This is done by offering undergraduate students training on ICT technologies and solutions and a first-hand working experience of the operations of the dynamic telecommunications company and Chinese culture. The program is said to…
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Bank of Namibia keeps repo rate unchanged: What does it mean to Namibians.

Bank of Namibia keeps repo rate unchanged: What does it mean to Namibians.

Josef Kefas Sheehama The annual inflation rate recorded for July 2023 was 4.50%, a steep decrease compared to 5.30% recorded in June 2023. Keeping the repo rate steady is particularly motivating for aspiring, first-time home buyers, whose appetite for home ownership remains consistent. The Bank of Namibia has left its key interest rate unchanged. The monetary policy committee (MPC), voted unanimously to keep the benchmark repurchase, or repo rate unchanged at 7.75 per cent. With no change in the policy rates there will be no immediate impact on the consumer monthly commitments such as home loan, car loan and personal…
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NAC decries hijacking of air cargo warehouse at HKIA

NAC decries hijacking of air cargo warehouse at HKIA

Niël Terblanché Menzies Aviation Namibia’s blatant refusal to hand over cargo handling responsibilities to Paragon Aviation Services (PAS) at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) has left the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) flabbergasted. Bisey/Uirab, the Chief Executive Officer of the NAC in a statement said that it is rather unfortunate that both Menzies and the relevant freight forwarders’ organisation did not respond to NAC’s request to hand over responsibilities. The refusal resulted in critical medication and vital cargo getting stuck in the air cargo warehouse for almost a week. “The aim was to remedially address the cargo situation at HKIA…
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NCAA educates Namibia Logistics Association about Standards

NCAA educates Namibia Logistics Association about Standards

Niël Terblanché In an apparent rebuke of an uninformed campaign aimed at discrediting certain Namibian public institutions in the aviation industry as well as Paragon Aviation Services, the NCAA issued a statement setting the record straight about aviation standards. The NCAA reminded the naysayers that certain certifications regarding the provision of ground handling services are exclusive to the European Union (EU). Harald Schmidt, the Secretary General of the Namibia Logistic Association (NLA) in a letter to the NCAA, enquired about Paragon Aviation Services’ Regulated Agents Certification (RA3 certification) as required under EU regulations and the post holding ground holding regulations…
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Menzies stoops to a new low…blocks access to air cargo warehouse at HKIA

Menzies stoops to a new low…blocks access to air cargo warehouse at HKIA

Niël Terblanché The fear of even more corporate court games in the swamp of legal technicalities created by repeatedly approaching the High Court of Namibia with urgent applications to stay on as the entity responsible for ground handling services at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) by Menzies Aviation Namibia, has now resulted in a potentially deadly situation. While being evicted from the premises of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC), Menzies and certain representative of freight forwarding companies locked up the air cargo warehouse at the airport and has since last Saturday, refused to hand responsibilities and the keys to…
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