Observer Money – Page 155 – Windhoek Observer

31 Mar

New 213 applicants awarded fishing quota

ObserverObserver MoneyAlbert Kawana, Erongo, Kavango East, Kavango West, Khomas, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Andrew Kathindi The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Albert Kawana, has announced that 213 new applications for fishing quotas were approved by the Government. This number represents 71 percent of all the successful applicants. According to the ministry, 298 applications were successful out of the initial 5, 176 submitted in 2018. The main beneficiaries for the quotas are applicants in the Khomas region with 11 percent with Erongo with 9,9 percent. Kavango East and Kavango West regions were the lowest with 0,6 percent and 0,4 percent applications approved respectively. "It will also be shown that, unfortunately, some regions did…

30 Mar

Covid-19: Judge calls for parliamentary oversight & democratic accountability

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Professor Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake, SADC

Moses Magadza WINDHOEK - A widely-acclaimed judge, Professor Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake, has implored legislative functionaries in the SADC region to “ensure the observance of parliamentary oversight and scrutiny, democratic accountability, transparency, legitimacy” at all stages in the legislative process as the world grapples with Covid-19. Dingake is a former Judge of the High Court of Botswana. He is now a Justice of the Residual Special Court of Sierra Leone, the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea and the Court of Appeal of Seychelles. He made the call when he virtually addressed Clerks of national Parliaments affiliated to the…

30 Mar

Vaccine arrival delayed again

ObserverObserver MoneyCOVAX Facility, Covid-19, Kalumbi Shangula, MoHSS Minister

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has bemoaned the delay in the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines which it purchased through the COVAX Facility. This comes as the latest communication from the Facility coordinators, which came last week, stated that the vaccines will only arrive in the country in the next three weeks. This is the third time that the vaccine arrival date has been announced, after an email in January from the COVAX Facility, had informed MoHSS Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, that the vaccine would arrive in mid or end of February, and later shifted to…

30 Mar

Taxi fare increase set for Wednesday

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU), NTTU, Werner Januarie

Maria Hamutenya Taxi fares will increase from N$12 to N$ 13.20 as of 31 March, Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) leader, Werner Januarie, announced on Monday. According to Januarie, the increment is in line with the law, section 12 of the Road Transportation Act of 1977, which states that when there is any fuel increment, unions are allowed to give notice for taxi fare increment. “It is only in subsequent section where board’s approval is sought and only in instances where the increase requested is above the threshold of ten percent, thus the NTTU pricelist is now finalised and…

26 Mar

Low turnout marks COVID vaccination

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Khomas, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), Sinopharm

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has expressed concern at the low turnout of people being vaccinated for COVID-19. Only 218 people have so far been vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine under the first phase of the of the ministry roll out plan which ends on the 16th of April. “There is still low uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines, we encourage the target population groups, especially health care workers to get vaccinated,” said Health minister, Kalumbi Shangula. He argued, “Studies continue to show that COVID-19 vaccines work very well at keeping you from getting COVID-19 and…

26 Mar

Namibia’s unemployed graduates’ crisis

ObserverObserver MoneyInternational University of Management (IUM), Ministry of Higher Education, Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Technology and Innovation (MHETI), University of Namibia (UNAM)

Rose-Mary Haufiku Amid rising numbers of unemployed graduates in the country, questions have begun to be raised on whether the country’s top universities are offering relevant courses to the country’s existing socio and economic conditions. The latest university survey shows that approximately 7 383 students graduated from the country’s top three universities, namely University of Namibia (Unam), Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) and International University of Management (IUM) in 2020, with majority eyeing to be absorbed into the job market. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI) there are over 67 000 unemployed graduates…

25 Mar

96 succumb to COVID in one month …As Namibia surpasses the 500 mark in deaths

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Rose-Mary Haufiku and Maria Hamutenya Namibia’s COVID-19 death toll continues to grow at an exponential rate, with the country recording over 96 deaths in one month. Since the outbreak of the virus, the country’s COVID-19 deaths have now surpassed the 500 mark according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), with a total of 502 deaths recorded. This comes after four deaths were announced from Omuthiya, Tsumeb, Gobabis and Mariental districts. Namibia began its first roll-out of the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm vaccine last Friday after receiving 100 000 doses from China, and an additional…

25 Mar

Namibia gets N$1.5 billion AfDB loan …as planned use is questioned

ObserverObserver MoneyAfrica Development Bank (AfDB), Finance minister, Iipumbu Shiimi

Andrew Kathindi Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a USD100.27 million (N$1.5 billion) to the Namibian government to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and help maintain Government’s welfare programmes. The approval of the loan to be repaid over 15 years on Wednesday 17 March 2021, follows a government request which was made in June last year. "As the country prepares for the post-pandemic era, the Government is pursuing reforms in a wide range of areas. The proposed Governance and Economic Recovery Support Programme (GERSP) operation is designed to support the Government's response and help to achieve inclusive post-pandemic…

24 Mar

Pendukeni demands answers from Kapofi

ObserverObserver MoneyFrans Kapofi, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Former Home Affairs minister, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, has demanded answers from Home Affairs, Immigration and Security Minister, Frans Kapofi, after the minister accused her of being the cause of the current problems facing the ministry. According to the Namibian Sun, Kapofi was not pleased with the credit given to his predecessor for bringing efficiency to the Home Affairs ministry’s operations. “Ask Mr. Kapofi himself, what has collapsed? Is it the computerised system? Is it those who were trained to operate them? What has really collapse?” According to Iivula-Ithana, Kapofi should not just state that things have collapsed with no…

24 Mar

Namcor in N$600 million fuel fix

ObserverObserver MoneyNAMCOR, Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC), National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor)

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) is in fix after importing fuel worth N$600 million despite its service stations only able to consume eight percent of the order. Namcor imported 20 million litres of ULP (unleaded petrol) of which 3.6 million litres still remain, 37 million litres of ADO (diesel) of which 17 million litres still remain, and nine million litres of lower sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) of which four million litres are still remaining. The large volume of the import, brought in the country as part of the commissioning of the National Oil Storage Facility, has…