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Hertta-Maria Amutenja  Since the beginning of its yearly duty penalty waiver program in November 2023, the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) has forgiven fines totalling N$219 million for 28 203 businesses. This follows the extension of the waiver deadline to 30 September 2025, aimed at helping thousands of non-compliant businesses avoid deregistration and regain good standing. The waiver applies to all registered entities with outstanding annual duty payments and late fees from 2012 to 2022. BIPA confirmed that, as of 31 March this year, around 177 000 entities had not yet participated in the campaign. According to BIPA’s spokesperson,…

Niël Terblanché As part of a regional school outreach effort, the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) this week visited several schools in the Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions, introducing learners to the various career paths available within the military. The visits form part of the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs’ participation in a broader series of career fairs aimed at inspiring young people to consider defence service roles. Schools visited included Onankali South Combined School, Oshilungi Combined School, and Odjadjaxwi Combined School. At Onankali South, Principal Ruusa Simson welcomed the initiative, saying the decision to host a career fair on the…

Niël Terblanché A proactive approach, particularly in regions susceptible to climate-induced adversities, has once again pointed out the importance of coordinated efforts in addressing both human and animal health challenges. In this regard, Governor Sacky Kathindi, accompanied by a multidisciplinary team of medical, veterinary, and security personnel, embarked on an aerial survey across the Oshikoto Region this week. The mission aimed to assess the impact of recent flooding and to address ongoing health and livestock concerns in the area. Utilising a Namibian Police helicopter, the delegation conducted flyovers of flood-affected communities within the Cuvelai Basin catchment area. On the ground,…

Niël Terblanché The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, Lucia Iipumbu, met with the Department of Immigration Control and Citizenship on Wednesday as part of her ongoing series of familiarisation visits aimed at aligning government departments with national development goals. During the engagement, Iipumbu placed emphasis on modernising immigration operations and enhancing service delivery. She praised the continued rollout of the Namibia-Botswana bilateral agreement, which enables citizens of both countries to travel using national identity cards. “This arrangement has facilitated easier movement of people and goods, particularly at 24-hour border posts, thereby strengthening trade and regional cooperation,” she…

Niël Terblanché Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele, says some regional and local authorities have become ATMs for known tender recipients, and this must stop immediately. She made the remarks on Wednesday while opening the first-ever Local Authorities Convention this week, on behalf of Minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa. “I have noticed that our regional and local authorities are highly riddled with corruption, financial mismanagement and irregularities, some of which border on incompetence by the staff members appointed, while some are a result of misguided political directions,” she said. She added that these authorities have become a haven…