Observer Money – Page 219

16 Sep

Education ministry still in repetition conundrum

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyArts and Culture, Ministry of Education

Helena Johannes The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is yet to pronounce itself on the matter of learners repeating their grades next year should they fail their end of the year assessments. This comes after certain learners, particularly those in Khomas region, have not received any face-to-face teaching since schools were first closed during the state of emergency proclaimed by President Hage Geingob in March, with classes having only resumed this week. Acting Director of Programmes and Quality Assurance at the Education Ministry, Ayesha Wentworth said the constant U-turns made by the Ministry since the beginning of the pandemic…

15 Sep

Fish Trust awaits board appointments

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCovid-19, Leon Jooste, Public Enterprise Minister

Andrew Kathindi Public Enterprise Minister, Leon Jooste has said that the process of recruiting a new Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) Board has been derailed by COVID-19. “The process to identify the candidates is ongoing. The entity has not been operating as a result of COVID-19 and the pandemic has also affected our program to recruit,” he told Windhoek Observer. This comes after the terms of the last Board, which served from 2017 lapsed in September 2019. The board was chaired by Suzan Ndjaleka. NFCPT was established with a mandate to promote fish consumption throughout the country, through the…

15 Sep

Govt still to deliver Cuba student parcels …as students plead for President’s intervention

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCuba, Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, Samuel /Gôagoseb

Andrew Kathindi Namibian medical students in Cuba are pleading with President Hage Geingob to assist with the delivery of parcels organized by the relatives, amid claims some of the items are spoiling in the Health Ministry’s facility storage. This comes two months after a South African Airways plane which was scheduled to travel to Cuba on 3 July with the said parcels left with only Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, Samuel /Gôagoseb, without the packages. The students have now accused the Health Ministry of abandoning them and leaving their items to rot, after no progress has been made on delivering their…

15 Sep

COVID saves Gvt millions in allowances

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCovid-19, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), Ministry of Finance

Staff Writer The restriction on travel by government officials due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has saved government million in travel allowances, amid revelation only 7.1 percent of the allocated amount of N$222. 8 million for the 2020/21 financial year has been spent. According to Ministry of Finance figures, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) has only gobbled N$15.8 million for the period April 2020 to August 2020, compared to N$116.9 million for the same period last year. This comes as it emerged that most of the travel conducted during the period was COVID-19 related, with the bulk of the allowances paid…

12 Sep

Shivute lands NamRA top job

info_e12wt4csObserver Moneyamibia Revenue Agency (NamRA), Bank of Namibia (BoN), NamRA, president Hage Geingob

Staff Writer Bank of Namibia (BoN) Director of Banking Services, Sam Shivute is set to be appointed the inaugural head of the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) after cabinet chaired by President Hage Geingob approved his appointment. The last hurdle in the unveiling of Shivute now lies with the Public Service Commission, which is widely expected to approve his appointment as Commissioner of NamRA following cabinet’s nod. Shivute will ascend to head the revenue body amid allegations that recruitment procedures were violated to ensure that he emerges as the preferred candidate, with the finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi as the key driver…

12 Sep

Stage 3 lockdown extended for 5 days

info_e12wt4csObserver Money//Kharas Region, Hardap Region, president Hage Geingob

Andrew Kathindi President Hage Geingob has once again extended the current stage three state of emergency lockdown to all 14 regions of the country. The extension is set to last for an additional five days. The existing state of emergency was supposed to lapse at midnight on Thursday 17 September, coinciding with the end of the six-month state of emergency period. “Regions which previously recorded lower cases, are now recording rising rates of infection. This is a matter of concern. New cases increased in the Kavango East Region by 138 percent, 78 percent in Otjozonjupa Region, 69 percent in //Kharas…

11 Sep

Marginal growth recorded in 2019 – NSA …as GDP contracted by 1.6 percent

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyNamibia Statistics Agency (NSA)

Staff Writer The size of the Namibian economy is estimated to have grown by N$225 million, from N$181.0 billion in 2018 to N$ 181.2 billion in 2019, the latest Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) annual national accounts estimates show. This comes as Namibia’s gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 1.6 percent in 2019 compared to a growth of 1.1 percent recorded in 2018. “The contractionary performance of the economy in 2019 was mainly due to the Primary industries that declined by 8.9 percent. The contraction in the Primary industries was observed across all sectors namely ‘Mining and quarrying’ (-11.1 percent) and…

11 Sep

Namibia records spike in suicide cases

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCovid-19, Ministry of Health and Social Services

Helena Johannes According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, suicide cases in Namibia have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Although the current statistic of people who have committed suicide this year is unknown, the ministry says suicide cases reported this far during the pandemic is worrisome significant numbers of people are choosing to end their lives due to different unbearable situations. According to Ministry of Health Social Worker Jenifer Lifasi, cases of minors committing suicide in the country are on the rise, with Namibia ranked 11th in the world for these tragic cases according to an international…

11 Sep

COVID crisis rocks Windhoek Central Prison

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health Ministry, Namibian Correctional Service (NCS), NCS Commissioner General Raphael Hamunyela

Andrew Kathindi A COVID-19 crisis has hit the Windhoek Central Prison, amidst allegations of shortage of medicine, isolation facilities and proper care of infected inmates. This dire situation according to an insider is alleged to have contributed to the death of one inmate, a death confirmed by the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS). Information made available to the Windhoek Observer alleges that many of the inmates that have contracted COVID-19 are not are left without being tested or provided with medical attention. “Some inmates are lucky get medication from their families from outside, but others, just have to wait. They are…

10 Sep

No voting day extension – ECN

info_e12wt4csObserver MoneyElectoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)

Andrew Kathindi The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has ruled out the possibility of the upcoming regional council and local authority elections taking place over more than one day. This comes amid concerns that COVID-19 could impact on voting due to health and safety restrictions, with Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has urged the ECN to consider a new strategy which will allow more time for people to vote. “There are people calling us from the regions saying I'm afraid to even go and stand in the queue to register because I do not know if I am…