Observer – Page 440 – Windhoek Observer

13 Jul

Safety and stability must be guarded at all cost

ObserverNational News

Niël Terblanché Militant behaviour by rebels in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and terrorist activities in northern Mozambique are threatening the stability of the Southern African Development Community and the safety of its people. In this regard, an extraordinary summit of the heads of state and governments of the SADC Organ Troika and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) and Contributing Countries to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Mozambique was held virtually on Wednesday. The summit was officially opened by Dr Hage Geingob, the President of the Republic of…

13 Jul

Electricity prices rise in Erongo

ObserverNational NewsElectricity prices rise in Erongo

Niël Terblanché The Regional Electricity Distributor of Erongo announced that consumers of the electricity it sells have increased by nine percent and that prices will be reviewed in June 2024. According to Nico Niemand, the acting Chief Executive Officer of ErongoRED, the Electricity Control Board (ECB) earlier this year approved an average tariff increase of nine percent for NamPower. Niemand said that the ECB announced that NamPower’s average tariff will increase from N$1.82 to N$2.12 per kilowatt hour for the 2023/2024 financial year. “This constitutes a weighted average increase of 8.97 percent, however, the actual impact to Erongo RED is…

12 Jul

FNB reduces service fees

ObserverFeatured, Observer MoneyFNB reduces service fees, Nangula Kaulum

Martin Endjala The First National Bank of Namibia has reduced the charges on some of its services as a way of cutting deeper to support customers. The fee reductions include card swipe fees on Bankwise lifestyle accounts, fees on international card swipes, reduced cost of ATM withdrawals for its student client base and reduced external debit order fees for its transmission account holders. The reduction in service fees will offer huge fee-saving opportunities for customers who use the bank’s alternative channels, feature across FNB Namibia’s newly released July 2023-June 2024 pricing for products and services. This pricing is effective from…

12 Jul

Green schemes expecting good harvest

ObserverObserver MoneyGreen schemes expecting good harvest

Niël Terblanché Significant investment in the renovation of key infrastructure to increase the production of maize and other types of staple grains on Namibia’s green schemes will pay off when current harvest is brought in. According to an audio-visual documentary presentation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), the various green schemes that benefitted from the investment, expect to harvest about 7 000 tons of maize by the end of July. Towards the end of 2022, MAWLR mobilized funds to commence production at the green schemes and irrigation projects of Sikondo, Ndonga Linena, Uvungu Vhungu, Shadikongoro and…

12 Jul

The trend of retrenchments in the mining sector worrisome

ObserverNational NewsThe trend of retrenchments in the mining sector worrisome

Martin Endjala The life of mines in Namibia is a very concerning issue for labour unions because of continuous retrenchments. The Mining Workers Union’s Assistant Secretary General, Paul Situmba said that it is beyond their control, given the fact that the industry deals with resources that are not forever and depletes over a period of time In this regard, Situmba called for better severance packages to be offered to workers that will eventually be retrenched. He was responding to the rising number of retrenchments observed in the mining sector recently. He said it is worrisome that a number of mines…

12 Jul

Empowering consumers for mutual gain

ObserverNational NewsEmpowering consumers for mutual gain

Martin Endjala Today’s consumers are redefining the next normal for the African credit market while they also have new digital demands, heightened experiential expectations, and evolving purchasing and repayment behaviours. This means forward-focused lenders are increasingly being challenged to respond in new and creative ways simply to stay competitive. This evolution in the consumer credit space is taking place against the backdrop of African economies experiencing a mixed post-pandemic recovery, as each country adapts to current conditions and strategizes for the future. External headwinds, such as the effects of global conflicts and inflationary pressures continue to pose a challenge to…

12 Jul

Commission denied Zambezi’s recommendation for CRO’S employment

ObserverNational News

Hertta-Maria Amiutenja The Executive Director at the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Daniel Nghidinua said the Zambezi Regional Council was denied a recommendation from the Public Service Commission for the employment of Regina Ndopu-Libunda, the Chief Regional Officer of the council. The recommendation was for the extension of the employment contract of Ndopu-Lubinda which was effective from March 2016 until February 2021. “Following audit finding and recommendation, the Regional Council acknowledged the omission and in 2021, approached the Public Service Commission to obtain a recommendation for the period of 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2021, which request was…

12 Jul

Walvis Bay Municipality warns residents about a payment scam

ObserverNational NewsWalvis Bay Municipality warns residents about a payment scam

Niël Terblanché The Municipality of Walvis Bay has warned residents to guard against a scam that is currently being perpetrated on individual account holders. According to a statement issued by the local authority, an individual, operating under the name De Waal, falsely claims to be a senior municipal official. “The scammer alleges that customers’ water supply is at risk of being disconnected because their accounts are in arrears. It is important to note that the scammer may also operate under an alternative identity,” the statement said. Residents of Walvis Bay are urged to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant to…

12 Jul

Tsandi residents receive 33 NHE houses

ObserverNational NewsTsandi residents receive 33 NHE houses

Stefanus Nashama Residents of the Tsandi Constituency in the Omusati region received 33 houses constructed by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) through a public-private partnership. The houses were handed over by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, in the presence of NHE board members and the Omusati Regional Governor, Erginus Endjala. According to the NHE, this was the first time the company delivered houses to the Tsandi Village Council. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Uutoni said he is aware of the cost of houses falling out of reach of many people and that those in the category…

12 Jul

Motorists warned about low visibility on coastal roads

ObserverNational NewsMotorists warned about low visibility on coastal roads

Niël Terblanché A giant cloud of dust and sand, caused by strong east winds, has enveloped the three major towns of Namibia’s central coastal region. At the same time, Inspector Ileni Shapumba, Head of the Community Affairs Division of the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region, has warned motorists to take extra precaution while driving on the roads between the three main coastal towns of Walvis Ba, Swakopmund and Henties Bay because of extremely low visibility. The entrance to Walvis Bay had to be cleared by heavy earthmoving machinery after gale-strength winds blew sand onto the road surface on Monday…