Observer Money – Page 164 – Windhoek Observer

05 Mar

Taxis want fare hike

ObserverObserver MoneyNamibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU)

Maria Hamutenya Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) says it has resolved to hike taxi fares to no more than N$ 13.50, subject to approval by the Ministry of Works and Transport. According to the NTTU request sent to the Transport ministry, the taxi operators are seeking to effect the hike as from the 15th of March. “This taxi fare increment is in line with the law, section 12 of the Road Transportation Act, Act 74 of 1977, states that when there is any fuel increment, we are allowed to give notice for taxi fare increment,” NTTU leader, Werner Januarie,…

05 Mar

Fishcor accounts unfrozen

ObserverObserver MoneyFishcor, National Fishing Corporation of Namibia

Andrew Kathindi Fishcor’s bank accounts have been unfrozen by the Bank of Namibia (BON), temporary Board chairperson Heinrich Mihe Gaomab II has revealed. “The Board informs the public on the positive developments of the unfreezing of the account of Fishcor to attend to its urgent and pressing financial and operational matters,” stated Gaomab II. The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) through BoN had frozen the corruption tainted state-owned enterprise’s accounts for breaking banking exchange regulations, according to reports. An investigation was launched in this matter. “Fishcor express it’s full confidence to the integrity of the investigations and express its continued cooperation…

05 Mar

N$6 million CoW vehicles attached

ObserverObserver MoneyBro-Mathew Shingwandja, Labour Executive Director

Andrew Kathindi and Maria Hamutenya The City of Windhoek (CoW) vehicles valued at more than N$6 million face the possibility of being auctioned off, after the Deputy Sheriff’s office attached the property in a labour dispute. According to a source at the labour court, the attached items include vehicles, buses and firefighting trucks. The dispute arose in 2019 when Superintendents, Peter Tuna Kandjumbwa, Kakonda Ghd, Tjivekumba Kandji, Jacqueline Amutenya, Maria Muyoba, Willem Karuuombe, Charl Morkel, Eliaser Liyambo, Pieter Boois, Oscar Simataa, Drusella Awases, Hilma Mpuka, Harold Winkler, Belinda Naomi Griqua and Reiter Nambinga took the City to the Labour Court…

04 Mar

11 convicted for violating COVID -19 regulations

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Namibian Correctional Services (NCS)

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri According to Namibian Correctional Services (NCS), only eleven people have been convicted for violating the COVID -19 state of emergency regulations since their enactment. Commissioner of NCS, Meunajo Tjiroze, said the eleven are individuals that were sentenced by the courts, with the Namibia Police Force having arrested 795 suspects for the period March 2020 until January 2021. “Many people are not adhering to the Covid-19 regulations, this comes in as Shikongo announced that a significant number of people are paying the N$2000 fine through admission of being guilty for breaking the Covid-19 regulations,” said Namibia Police Force Commissioner,…

04 Mar

Govt to strip CPBN chairperson of powers

ObserverObserver MoneyCentral Procurement Board of Namibia, Patrick Swartz

Andrew Kathindi Government is proposing changes in the structure of the Central Procurement Board of Namibia’s (CPBN) Board, a development which will strip current Chairperson, Patrick Swartz, and his deputy’s powers when amendments into the Public Procurement Act, Act No. 15 come into effect. The amendments, which according to the Ministry of Finance are to strengthen governance issues around the CPBN, will see Swartz and his deputy, Lischen Ramakhutla, no longer with administrative powers if they opt to retain their current positions after the amendments. Swartz was embroiled in a recruitment scandal in May last year involving 14 employees, most…

03 Mar

Energy ministry lifts licence moratorium

ObserverObserver MoneyMinistry of Mines and Energy

Staff Writer The Ministry of Mines and Energy on Tuesday announced the lifting of its temporary suspension on the issuing of fuel retail site and wholesale licenses. The Ministry last July effected the suspension, citing an oversupply of service stations in the country. The move was aimed at reviewing existing procedures and requirements for securing a fuel retail site and wholesale license. “The Ministry has reviewed the licencing procedures and requirements for granting fuel retail and wholesale licences, as provided for in the Petroleum Products and Energy Regulations, of 2000. This includes new application forms and conditions for the granting…

03 Mar

NamWater seeks its N$1.5 billion

ObserverObserver MoneyKatima Mulilo, NamWater Chief Executive Officer, Zambezi

Andrew Kathindi NamWater has revealed that it’s owed N$1.5 billion nationally, with local authorities being the largest debtors. NamWater Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Abraham Nehemia, told Windhoek Observer that some of the debts owed to them are backdated by nearly ten years.“I have written all of them letters. It's a demand letter waking up the other party to honour their obligations,” he said. The NamWater CEO further refuted claims that the lack of water in Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region was a result of NamWater disconnecting the local authority. “There was a misrepresentation of facts in Katima. We have a…

03 Mar

Residents owe CoW N$1 billion

ObserverObserver MoneyCity of Windhoek, Covid-19, Job Amupanda

Andrew Kathindi The City of Windhoek’s (CoW) debts currently stand at around N$ 1 billion, Mayor, Job Amupanda, has revealed on Tuesday. The debt, according to the Mayor, was around N$800 to N$900 million in early 2020, and moved to slightly above N$1 billion when COVID-19 hit to slightly below a billion when restrictions eased. “The City has not been spared by the negative impact of COVID-19, and our debts has drastically increased by N$150 million since the state of emergency was first announced in March 2020. At that point and time, we could not disconnect services for our residents…

02 Mar

Shangula dismisses third wave concerns …as CDC cautions

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health and Social Services (MoHS), Kalumbi Shangula

Andrew Kathindi Health and Social Services (MoHS) minister, Kalumbi Shangula, has downplayed the probability of a third wave of COVID-19 hitting Namibia anytime soon. This comes after South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Sunday warned that the, “threat of a third wave is constantly present, as is the threat of yet more new variants”. Shangula stated that he was not aware of Ramaphosa’s warning, but queried, “How can they talk about a third wave when they are relaxing all the control measures?” South Africa on Sunday relaxed some of its regulations in the control of the spread of COVID-19. The…

02 Mar

600 Seaflower workers set to lose jobs again

ObserverObserver MoneyTunacor

Andrew Kathindi and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Altogether 597 factory workers under a government fishing quota for employment deal entered with Tunacor , are again set to lose their jobs when the existing agreement expires this month , it has emerged. Tunacor, awarded 4 000 tonnes worth of quota valued at over N$6 million by government in exchange for absorbing the Seaflower Pelagic Processing (SPP) retrenched workers, has revealed that it only has 50 openings in the company, which the employees were free to apply when the existing deal reached last December expires this month. The deal, struck between Fishcor’s board, the…