Featured – Page 44 – Windhoek Observer

12 Jul

FNB reduces service fees

Featured, Observer MoneyFNB reduces service fees, Nangula Kaulum

Martin Endjala The First National Bank of Namibia has reduced the charges on some of its services as a way of cutting deeper to support customers. The fee reductions include card swipe fees on Bankwise lifestyle accounts, fees on international card swipes, reduced cost of ATM withdrawals for its student client base and reduced external debit order fees for its transmission account holders. The reduction in service fees will offer huge fee-saving opportunities for customers who use the bank’s alternative channels, feature across FNB Namibia’s newly released July 2023-June 2024 pricing for products and services. This pricing is effective from…

07 Jul

Police confiscate drugs worth N$617 475 in June

Featured

Niël Terblanché Large quantities of illicit drugs such as crack cocaine, cannabis and mandrax have been confiscated by the Namibian police during focused operations in June. According to Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, the head of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations Division, the combined value of the confiscated drugs is estimated at N$617 475. She said that officers managed to arrest 153 suspects in June. She said that 148 of the suspects were identified as Namibians, while one Angolan, one Congolese and three Zambian nationals were found to be in possession of illicit drugs. The suspects had cannabis worth N$555 455,…

06 Jul

Quality of statistics is not guaranteed in Namibia

Featured, National NewsQuality of statistics is not guaranteed in Namibia

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The quality of data is not guaranteed in Namibia because such information is not always compiled for statistical purposes. The representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Namibia (UNFPA) in Namibia, Gift Malunga made the statement at the launch of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) this week. “In Namibia, like in many other countries, inter-agency access to data from administrative and official records is inconsistent and the quality of data is not guaranteed because it is not always compiled for statistical purposes. Currently, the process of data sharing between government entities is not…

04 Jul

Why the City of Windhoek Councillors Repeatedly Fail us

Featured, OpinionsWhy the City of Windhoek Councillors Repeatedly Fail us

Isaack Kambwa Municipalities in Namibia are mandated to deliver services that meet basic communal needs such as housing, water and sanitation, land, electricity and infrastructur. The municipality as an institution is considered an engine for local development and central to service delivery. The government has implemented an elaborate statutory framework which operationalise the Municipalities. The powers of Municipal councils are regulated within this statutory framework, despite the powers conferred upon the councilors, they tend to fail in running their Municipalities. In case study research on the performance of councillors in the South Africa by Stellen press highlighted a number of…

03 Jul

The second round of OM SEED launched

Featured, Observer MoneyThe second round of OM SEED launched

Martin Endjala The Old Mutual Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Lab, has announced the launch of the second run of the highly anticipated Old Mutual Sustainable, Economic, and Empowerment Drive (OM SEED) in four new towns in Namibia. Following the remarkable impact achieved in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, and Oshakati last year, the foundation is extending the initiative to Rundu, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, and Mariental in 2023. The four towns have been strategically selected to foster entrepreneurship, create value within local communities, and address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. OM SEED was first launched last…

29 Jun

Kunene region spends N$ 33m on infrastructure development

Featured, Observer MoneyKunene region spends N$ 33m on infrastructure development

Martin Endjala The Kunene Region has spent over N$33 million from its initial allocated N$200 million for the 2022/23 financial year, due to funds that were virement on given projects such as N$175 million towards the construction of the new 412 kilometre-long Swakopmund-Henties Bay-Kamanjab road. Kunene Regional Governor, Marius Sheya said in his State of the Region address yesterday in Opuwo that it is no secret that public infrastructure development stimulates prosperity and promotes economic inclusion through the provision of accessibility, inclusion, and safety. Infrastructure development shapes social and economic outcomes that promote a socially fair and cohesive society, he…

28 Jun

Tabled Banking Bill to empower BoN in holding banks accountable

Featured, Observer MoneyTabled Banking bill to empower BoN in holding banks accountable

Martin Endjala The Bank of Namibia will soon have the authority to deal with commercial banks that are contravening the Banking Institutions ACT following the introduction of the Banking Institutions Bill tabled in parliament which is intended to repeal the Banking Institutions Act, Act No. 2 of 1998 as amended. During the tabling of the Bill, the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipimbu Shiimi said that the banking regulatory framework should be effective and responsive to the needs of the people and when promulgated, it will enhance the regulatory and supervisory framework for banking institutions and contribute to the…

28 Jun

SMEs actively contribute to the national economy

Featured, Observer MoneySMEs actively contribute to the national economy

Martin Endjala Namibia should embrace the fact that it is well-positioned to capitalise on the strengths of its Small and Medium Enterprise sector, given the immense contributions of SMEs to economies and societies worldwide. The importance of such enterprises emphasises the power of Micro, Small and Medium-sized (MSMEs) and their transformational potential and the need for inclusive, sustainable support systems. Bank Windhoek’s Head of SME, Financial and Data Analytics, Bianca Janse Van Vuuren made these remarks during the commemoration of MSMEs Day, which is commemorated on the 27th of June worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly designated 27 June as…

26 Jun

Oshana Region makes strides in availing low-cost houses

Featured, National NewsElia Irimari, Oshana Region makes strides in availing low-cost houses, Oshana Regional Council

Martin Endjala In its pursuit of availing urban and low-cost housing, the Oshana Regional Council has made big strides in ensuring that residents have access to affordable land and houses. This comes after the three towns of Ongwediva, Ondangwa and Oshakati serviced and allocated 863 plots for housing development in Oshana Region during the 2022/2023 Financial Year. During his State of the Region Address on Friday, Oshana Governor Elia Irimari said that the increasing pace of rural-urban migration continues to escalate the demand for residential and business properties in urban areas in the region. During the year under review, Irimari…

23 Jun

Oryx Properties, Scania Namibia go solar

FeaturedOryx Properties, Scania Namibia go solar

Oryx Properties and long-term tenant Scania Namibia installed 218 state-of-the-art solar panels on the roof of the Scania building in the Northern Industrial area, representing a substantial investment of N$ 1.4 million. The newly installed solar panels, with a total capacity of 91Kwatt, are set to transform energy consumption at the Scania facility. By harnessing the power of the sun, the solar panels will generate clean and renewable electricity, significantly reducing the reliance on conventional energy sources. This sustainable energy solution aligns perfectly with the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies of both Oryx Properties and Scania Namibia. Clifford Marchbank,…