National News – Page 372

18 Apr

ECB to announce new electricity tariffs before end of April

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Martin Endjala The Electricity Control Board (ECB) will announce itself on electricity tariffs before the end of April, with Nampower said to have applied for a 16.87 percent tariff increase. This was confirmed yesterday by the Electricity Control Board Public Relations Officer Ferdinand Molale, who informed this publication that the ECB endeavours to announce the 2023/2024 bulk electricity tariff before the end of April 2023. “The ECB, after studying the application, would make an announcement on the approved tariff. The ECB will endeavour to educate the public on tariff adjustment using various mass media channels”, Molela explained. When asked about…

18 Apr

Uapingene calls for gender balance in Junior Councils

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Martin Endjala The Mayor of the City of Windhoek, Joseph Uapingene has called for gender balance, citing its importance to recognize gender equality by 2030, in line with the United Nation’s Planet 50-50 goals. The Mayor made these remarks during the 24th official inauguration ceremony of the Junior Council for 2023 /2024 held last week in Windhoek. Since its inception in 1999, the Junior Council has been represented by 37 schools, including both private and government schools, in the Khomas Region. The Junior Council programme also includes two special schools for learners with visual and hearing impairments to equip the…

18 Apr

805 DRC residents receive land ownership certificates

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Niël Terblanché A great sense of happiness and optimism descended on a group of 805 residents of the DRC informal settlement of Swakopmund after they signed contracts on Sunday, legalizing their ownership of land and subsequently permitting them to build permanent homes. Some of the recipients of the flexible land Tenure certificates stated that their lives will improve significantly as a result. The provision of adequate housing not only allows Namibians to live with their dignity intact but also enables people to access other aspects of well-being in general. The flexible land tenure system, developed by the Namibian Government in…

18 Apr

Namibia slowly becoming self-sustainable with energy

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Niël Terblanché In an effort to decrease Namibia’s reliance on electricity supply from neighboring countries, the country’s national electricity supplier, NamPower, yesterday signed exclusive Power Purchase and Transmission agreements with CERIM Lüderitz Energy to supply electricity to the national grid. As a result of the agreement signed in Windhoek, CERIM will construct a 50 Mega Watt wind power plant at a cost of N$1.4 billion. The power plant is expected to be put into commission in mid-2025. Although 50MW of wind-generated electricity is not nearly enough to supply Namibia in its entirety, an increase in the generation of low-cost power…

17 Apr

Progress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

info_e12wt4csNational NewsProgress with Universal Health Care under scrutiny

Nël Terblanché The Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe says every Namibian should have access to quality and affordable healthcare services without it causing severe financial hardship for the individual or their family. Nangombe said this during the official opening of a consultative meeting between the Ministry’s officials and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Universal Health Care (UHC) in Swakopmund. According to him, such services should also include access to essential medicines, therapeutics, vaccines and technologies that are effective, safe and of good quality. Nangombe said the country has made great strides in its…

17 Apr

Comalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

info_e12wt4csNational NewsComalie still facing drug charges as she continues to serve as Namcor board Chair

While Jennifer Comalie, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Energy Corporation of Namibia, has largely been found to be innocent by public opinion, she still faces the judicial consequences of being found in possession of illicit drugs. The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi, while attending the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, took time out to address questions by the Windhoek Observer regarding Comalie’s status as the Namcor board Chairperson. “Ms Comalie is indeed still serving as the Namcor board Chairperson,” Shiimi said. Comalie’s position…

17 Apr

New community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

info_e12wt4csNational NewsNew community facility to ensure dignified lives for Etoshapoort residents

Niël Terblanché Robust processes, systems and institutions need to be created to buttress efforts to battle abject poverty, inequality and corruption to usher in a new era of prosperity for all in the wake of the establishment of Green Hydrogen projects and the discovery of viable oil resources off the Namibian coast. President Hage Geingob during the official inauguration of a new Community Legacy Centre in the Etoshapoort suburb of Outjo over the weekend said all the attention of Namibians has been focused on an all-out war on poverty. “As we continue with our national developmental initiatives, our attention has…

17 Apr

Geingob participates in Green Hydrogen project discussions

info_e12wt4csNational NewsGeingob participates in Green Hydrogen project discussions

Niël Terblanché New developments in the future of Green Hydrogen projects and how they would benefit residents of the Karas Region have been discussed at the grassroots level by the Namibian Head of State President Hage Geingob, who travelled to Lüderitz over the weekend to participate in open discussions with the residents of the Karas Region on the establishment of future projects during the Green Hydrogen Stakeholder Consultation meeting. The capital projects are underpinned by the second evolution of the Harambee Prosperity Plan. “Eventually, we will have Green Hydrogen as well as crude oil projects that have to be built.…

17 Apr

Sale of vehicles increased in March

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Martin Endala Last month, vehicle sales recorded the highest number of units sold since July 2017, where 1 280 units were sold, compared to 1 226 units in March 2023. Vehicle sales were primarily driven by the usual, with passenger and light commercial vehicles accounting for 94.2 percent of total units sold in March. However, medium-commercial vehicles recorded the largest annual increase in March, followed by extra-heavy commercial and light commercial. This is according to Simonis Storm’s recent report, which highlighted that sales have increased by 28.8 percent year to date. The 2023 first quarter has so far been the…

17 Apr

Unions soon to approach employers amidst hiking inflation

info_e12wt4csNational NewsUnions soon to approach employers amidst hiking inflation

Martin Endjala With the prevalent high inflation, workers unions are now contemplating approaching employers for wage negotiations for their members. This is in light of the repo rate, expected to be at 25 basis points. This week, the Bank of Namibia will pronounce itself on the matter. According to a report by Simonis Storm issued last Friday, the Bank of Namibia is expected to hike the repo rate by 25 basis points each in their 19 April and 14 June 2023 meetings, translating to a repo rate of 7.5 percent by mid-2023. The Windhoek Observer has, in the meantime spoken…