Observer Money – Page 183

25 Mar

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

info_e12wt4csObserver 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

info_e12wt4csObserver 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

info_e12wt4csObserver 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…

19 Mar

HPP II targets N$28 billion projects

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyHarambee Prosperity Plan II (HPP II), president Hage Geingob

Maria Hamutenya The Harambee Prosperity Plan II (HPP II) launched by President Hage Geingob on Thursday, has set an ambitious target to unlock projects with a commercial value in excess of N$ 27.7 billion over a 5 year period, while creating 42 000 jobs Among some of the projects targeted, include a plan to build a Green Hydrogen plant and deliver 20 000 housing units countrywide by the end of HPP2 through public and private stakeholders. This aims to reduce the national housing backlog, which currently stands 300 000 houses. “In the social progression pillar the Government, local authorities, GIPF,…

19 Mar

It was not Emma Theofelus – Shiimi

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyDeputy Information Minister, Emma Theofelus, Finance minister, Ipumbu Shiimi, value added tax (VAT)

Rose-Mary Haufiku and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Finance Minister, Ipumbu Shiimi, said the decision to remove value added tax (VAT) on sanitary pads has nothing to do with the motion tabled by Deputy Information Minister, Emma Theofelus, two weeks ago. He said a decision had already been taken by the Finance ministry in January. “The removal of VAT on sanitary pads is not in any way linked to Emma Theofelus. It has got nothing to do with her. She brought her issue, but it was already in the budget,” Shiimi told the Windhoek observer . The revelation by Shiimi comes as Theofelus…

18 Mar

Shangula rules out relaxing Covid-19 regulations

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health and Social Services Minister, Kalumbi Shangula

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Health and Social Services Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, says Namibia will not be relaxing its COVID-19 regulations despite the arrival of the country’s first batch of vaccines and the beginning of its inoculation role out schedule for Friday. “No, it will not be relaxed. We will still continue to have public health measures because we have not yet vaccinated anybody, we need to vaccinate about 80 percent of the population and then we will see whether they are fully protected, it will be a combination, just like we have the mask, social distance and you get vaccination,” he said.…

18 Mar

Shiimi tables declining budget … as sin tax is upped

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyFinance minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)

Andrew Kathindi The national budget for the 2021/2022 financial year amounts to N$59.4 billion, Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, has announced. This is a 6.1 percent decline from the N$63.4 budget tabled last year. “Budget revenue is projected to decline by 6.1 percent to N$52.1 billion, from the estimated N$55.5 billion in 2020/21. This is largely due to the expected contraction in SACU receipts. Over the remainder of the MTEF, revenue is forecast to gather pace at an average rate of 4.8 percent as domestic economic activity and regional trade pick up,” said Shiimi. Of the tabled figure, N$53.9 billion is…

17 Mar

Call to track, measure women’s progress

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyBoemo Sekgoma, International Women’s Day, SADC Parliamentary Forum

Moses Magadza As the world marked International Women’s Day last week, the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Ms Boemo Sekgoma, called for an advanced framework for tracking and measuring key indicators to ensure progress of women in political participation. Sekgoma made the call when she delivered keynote remarks during a virtual international engagement meant to discuss ways of enhancing women’s political participation. She noted that although “women's political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality, democracy and for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” more remains to be done to ensure their meaningful political…

17 Mar

LPM’s Mariental appointments illegal – Lawyer

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyLandless People’s Movement (LPM), Richard Metcalfe

Maria Hamutenya Legal representative of recalled Landless Peoples Movement (LPM)’s councillors, Richard Metcalfe, says the appointment of new Mariental councillors is illegal. Thus he will proceed to file for review from the High Court next week Monday.Metcalfe maintained the two LPM members had been denied a proper disciplinary hearing by the party before it recalled them from their position on the Mariental town council. “It is time that politicians start to remember that Namibia is a democracy with a Constitution as its Supreme law.” “They can't continue to run the country like the colonials did. We sink lower by the…

17 Mar

No Sinopharm vaccine for Shangula, top govt officials

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyMinister of Health and Social Services, Sinopharm

Andrew Kathindi, Kandjemuni Kamuiiri, Rose-Mary Haufiku It has emerged that most high-ranking government officials, including Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHss), Kalumbi Shangula, will not receive the Sinopharm vaccine, because of its age restrictions. The vaccine, the first vaccine against COVID-19 to come into Namibia since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, is only recommended for use on people between the ages of 18 to 59 years. “If I fall in the eligible criteria I will take it. I am waiting for another one because this vaccine is only for people between 18 and 59 and I don’t…