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Martin Endjala The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) is set to table a national policy that will address SMEs' credit access shortcomings. This announcement was made last week in the National Assembly by MIT Minister Lucia Iipumbu. She was responding to a motion introduced in parliament in February by Maximalliant Katjimune, a member of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) party. Katjimune’s motion calls for the National Assembly to investigate the bottlenecks around SME financing in Namibia to unleash greater access and economic potential for this sector of the economy. This follows concerns raised by SMEs who are struggling to…

Martin Endjala Economist and independed bank reseacher has advised businesses and individuals to anticipate longer payment turnaround times once anticipated as cross-border payment comes into effect. Josef Sheehama, said this in an interview with the Windhoek Observer on the impact of the implementation of making and receiving payments across borders within the Common Monetary Area (CMA), encompassing Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa. He said individuals and entities will be impacted by the Bank of Namibia's Payment System Determination 9, or PSD 9. "This implies that businesses in South Africa will no longer be permitted to collect debit orders from…

Niël Terblanché A Brazilian business delegation recently visited the Erongo region to foster bilateral cooperation and accelerate economic growth through their expertise in sectors such as mining, tourism, and emerging Green Hydrogen industries. The discussions covered a variety of topics, from mining operations to renewable energy prospects. Neville André, the Governor of the Erongo Region informed the visiting delegation about the transformative potential of Green Hydrogen Industries in the region. He revealed that with six planned Green Hydrogen plants, there is a need for specialized knowledge to scale these initiatives. "These plants are here to provide opportunities in the region,…

Niël Terblanché In an inspiring celebration, the Namibian Navy Gender Division last week commemorated International Women's Day with a strong message of female empowerment and the crucial role of women in fostering global peace and prosperity. The annual event, usually celebrated on 8 March, carried the theme "Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress," underscoring the importance of supporting and advancing women's roles in society. Commander Emilia Sheendelwako, the Namibian Navy Gender Adviser, delivered a speech in which she stressed the significance of the day. She dedicated the celebration to recognizing and honouring the women who have made notable differences in various…

Niël Terblanché Newly qualified sailors graduated from the sixth intake of the Basic Seamanship Training Course in the Namibian Navy at Walvis Bay. The course, which began in September 2023, and ended on 12 April, saw 37 seamen undergo extensive training designed to enhance their military skills in alignment with the strategic needs of the Namibian Navy. Commander Naval Operations (CNO), Rear Admiral Erastus Lazarus, presided over the ceremony and commended the graduates on their achievements. Lazarus emphasized the importance of training in preparing sailors for both peacetime and hostile environments. "The objective of this course is to develop and…

Stefanus Nashama The Ministry of Works and Transport has so far utilised N$10 million of the allocated N$40 million for the renovation of the Katutura Intermediate State Hospital. The executive director of the Ministry of Works and Transport, Esther Kaapanda disclosed this while inspecting the progress of the work done at the hospital on Friday. “We are happy with the work being done by different contractors. We acknowledged finishing the work on time and within budget,” she said. She pointed to challenges such as the management and relocation of patients to other wards that the renovation work is facing. “We…

Stefanus Nashama The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, says it has no intention to support Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and its leader Panduleni Itula, or any other political party in the upcoming November elections. AR spokesperson George Kambala confirmed this to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday. Kambala said the movement will run its affairs independently and will not support any other candidate apart from Job Amupanda, who has expressed his desire to represent the movement in this year's Presidential and National Assembly elections. “We have no interest in supporting Itula. We have no relationship with him and his party. What…

Niël Terblanché Phase one of the replacement of a five-kilometre section of the water supply pipeline which is the lifeline of Henties Bay has commenced. The pipeline which supplies the town water from the Omdel Dam according to the town mayor Lewis Vermaak has seen its days and has been inconveniencing the town when there are breakdowns. “The pipeline is very old and it’s breaking everywhere. They are now installing a new pipeline and a new reservoir so that Henties Bay can have reliable water supply throughout the year,” he said. Vermaak added that once the pipeline is completed another…

Ester Mbathera South African company Oceana Group which owns the Erongo Marine Enterprises (EME) said it will no longer pursue disciplinary charges against the suspended EME managing director Martha Uumati. This was confirmed by the EME spokesperson Francois van der Merwe on Sunday. “Oceana has agreed terms with Uumati. She resigned from her position effective 15 April 2024. The company will no longer be pursuing disciplinary action,” he said. The disciplinary hearing was scheduled for 11 and 12 April but did not take place. Van der Merwe could not confirm the date when Uumati submitted her resignation. He also did…