Uncategorised – Page 87

06 Jun

Big Ben: Adapt or die

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedBig Ben

…keep the music flowing when times are tough Jackie Wilson Asheeke With the state of emergency restrictions, those producing songs that soothe our souls, make our feet move or hips sway are on lockdown. There is no doubt that musicians are challenged during this pandemic. That said, one of Namibia’s premier artists and musical performers, Big Ben, has not been idle during lockdown; brotha’man has been on the move. During Stage 1 and State 2 of the lockdown and pandemic response phase Ben held two live online performances. Check out his Facebook page and find out how you can get…

06 Jun

I’m not singing any more

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedpresident Hage Geingob

Jackie Wilson Asheeke The rebellion during a pandemic which has started in the USA is not to overthrow the government. It is to attack institutional racism. It is not to destroy the constitution, it is to make sure it is applied to everyone equally. Those screaming for justice, love the USA; their home. But, the USA they love does not believe it is ok to murder a man with your knee on his neck. Last week, President Hage Geingob made his announcement regarding the beginning of Stage 3 of the State of Emergency phase-out plan and included a brilliantly worded…

06 Jun

The Time Traveler: One will always get through

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedCovid-19

Hugh Ellis Recent revelations in the fight against Covid-19 - that some truck drivers allegedly broke quarantine to visit their families, transact at banks, or sleep over with their girlfriends, not to mention the sailor who spent days on shore after his Coronavirus infection was not diagnosed – are saddening but not surprising. The government has done a great job in keeping our borders closed and people with suspected Covid-19 infections in quarantine. But there will always be loopholes. I’m no epidemiologist or doctor (well, no doctor of medicine, anyway), and my only public health experience was brief stint as…

06 Jun

AgriBank provides billions in funding

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedAgribank, Finance minister, Government, Iipumbu Shiimi

Staff writer Finance minister, Iipumbu Shiimi says AgriBank has extended up to N$1 billion in loans to farmers in various regions of the country over the past three years. “Equally commercial bank loans to agriculture over the past five years have averaged in excess of N$4 billion, indicating a healthy flow of funds to this sector. Drought relief disbursements amounting to N$245 million has also been provided by AgriBank over the past year,” he said in his reply on matters raised during the Second Reading of the 2020/21 Appropriation Bill in Parliament. He, however, warned AgriBank loan beneficiaries to repay…

05 Jun

Offer solutions, not drama

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedBernadus Swartbooi, Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Parliament

Comments by Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi calling for monthly $750 income grants for two years are unnecessary. Such pronouncements offer no solution, they only increase the drama. The new voices in the Parliament are the will of the Namibian people as democratically expressed at the ballot box last November. That vote was for increased debate and new ideas. The voters wanted competent challenges to the status quo of Swapo dominance in law-making that was not working. In light of the Finance Minister’s recent budget speech and statistics, anyone seriously demanding two years of N$750 per month payments…

05 Jun

Trustco secures N$345m loan

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedCovid-19, German, Trustco, Trustco Finance, Trustco Group Holdings Limited

Staff Writer Trustco Finance, a subsidiary of Trustco Group Holdings Limited has secured a US$20 million (approximately N$345 million) loan from Deutsche Investitions Und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, a German development finance institution. The loan approval is, however, subject to a final agreement currently being drafted. The bulk of the facility will be used to provide student financing, offered by Trustco Finance, as well as enhancing the educational facilities offered by the Institute for Open Learning (Pty) Ltd (“IOL”), while funding will also be made available to existing students to restructure and refinance their existing obligations as part of the group’s COVID-19 relief…

03 Jun

Get Deezer – put together your own playlist

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedDeezer

…spend time singing to yourself Jackie Wilson Asheeke Even though things are opening up again, the down time on our own should have taught us ways to have fun at home, in our own gardens, with our family members and for less money than we otherwise would have spent. Check out the music service called: “#Deezer”. Since I found it, I have been singing different songs in the shower and to my pets. My 2 dogs and 2 cats told me they love hearing the updated music (they were getting tired of hearing the same old songs). Deezer has nearly…

02 Jun

Business leadership during a crisis

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedBusiness, Covid-19, leadership

Mbo Mena Luvindao Merriam-Webster defines a crisis as "an unstable or difficult time or state of affairs". It is unplanned or uncontrolled change. During times of crisis, leadership is critical. While the existing economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is unprecedented, small businesses have historically proved themselves to be flexible and resilient. The crisis has led to paradigm shifts in the way we view and conduct our business - don’t bury your head in the sand, but consider new ways of doing things as an entrepreneur. COVID-19 has changed the way we work, and in some industries, it has forced companies…

02 Jun

!Gawaxab starts work at BoN

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedBoN, Johannes Gawaxab

Staff Writer Johannes !Gawaxab officially started duty on Monday as third Namibian Governor of the Bank of Namibia following his surprise appointment by President Hage Geingob on 21 April 2020. As Governor,!Gawaxab will also serve as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Bank. On assuming duty,!Gawaxab said that he believes the central bank’s mandate is more than delivering on traditional roles such as monetary policy, and financial stability, but it is also about delivering on an economy that provides prosperity to Namibia. “Therefore, I aim to look at how best do we complement the collaborations between the monetary…

31 May

NCE launches two new websites

info_e12wt4csUncategorisedNamibia Chamber of Environment, Namibian Environmental, Namibian Journal of Environment

Staff writer On Friday 29 May, the Namibia Chamber of Environment will launch two Namibian Environmental websites: The Environmental Information Service (EIS) and Conservation Namibia. Information about these sites will be spread widely via social media. The EIS has been in the works for more than 15 years. It is now the most comprehensive single source of information on environmental issues in Namibia. The NCE announced a detailed revamp and modernisation of the EIS. It has a new home page to quickly direct the public to different parts of the site, a new fast and easy search engine for the…