National News

Martin Endjala The issuing of free visas to Chinese nationals is seen as a negative move by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security because it will disadvantage the already unemployed youth in the country. Namibia is currently facing an unemployment rate of over 55 percent. It is a staggering figure that highlights the urgent need for job creation and opportunities for youth. Considering this challenging situation, the decision to provide free visas to Chinese nationals is said to raise concerns among the youth population. This is according to a letter submitted to the office of the Executive…

Niël Terblanché The timely provision of adequate information is essential and it the public to understand, respond to and influence the development and implementation of government policies and programmes. To streamline the process of information dissemination in the ever-changing media landscape the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is hosting a review workshop on the implementation of the Government Communications Strategy in Swakopmund this week. At the root of the government’s communication strategy and approach to dealing with the news media is the principle that the responsibility to provide information is inseparable from the nature of representative government. The Minister…

Niël Terblanché The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has stated that the world food import bill is forecast to reach a new record this year. According to a report by the FAO, it is estimated that the global food bill will rise to US$1.98 trillion in 2023, up 1.5 percent from 2022. It rose by 11 percent in 2022 and 18 percent in 2021. The report states that the most economically vulnerable countries will be severely impacted by higher food prices that are driven by dampened demand. According to the FAO, food imports by advanced economies…