Page 632 – News Stand

22 Sep

Housing target of 20 000 units, a pipe dream

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira The target set by the government of delivering 20 000 housing units by the end of 2025, remains a pipe dream and will not be met. This is as a result of the slow pace at which the National Housing Enterprise is constructing houses. The country’s housing backlog stands at 300 000 housing units; this means that the country needs to construct around 30 000 houses annually. “However, it appears unlikely that this target will be met, given the current pace of construction by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE). Only 29% of this goal has been achieved, and…

22 Sep

Exempting Chinese from visas will increase tourism

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira The proposed visa exemptions for 30 days for Chinese nationals arriving in Namibia will have a positive impact on tourist arrivals from the Asian giant given that it is the second biggest economy in the world and a big player in travel and tourism globally. “Namibia will do well to tap and establish a tourism market in China. This will enhance tourism growth for the country as well as economic growth and investment. The visa requirement has been one of the challenges that hampering Chinese arrivals, with that exemption, we are confident that the tourism arrivals will increase…

22 Sep

Trans Kalahari blends with TransNamib plans

info_e12wt4csObserver Money

Chamwe Kaira The proposed Trans Kalahari Railway to link Botswana and the port of Walvis plans will undoubtedly blend in with plans of TransNamib, to have a rail link between Namibia and Botswana, TransNamib said this week. The Trans-Kalahari Railway is anticipated to facilitate the transportation of 14 million tons annually in its inaugural year of operation, with the potential to increase to 56 million tons per annum by its 30th year of service, as revealed in project tender documents. Scheduled to commence construction in January 2025, this ambitious project comes with a multi-billion-dollar price tag. Stretching across a distance…

22 Sep

Namibia’s economy grew by 3.7 percent in the second quarter

info_e12wt4csNational Newsreflecting a slowdown compared to the remarkable 8.5 percent growth recorded in the same quarter of 2022., The Namibian economy showed a growth of 3.7 percent during the second quarter of 2023

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Namibian economy showed a growth of 3.7 percent during the second quarter of 2023, reflecting a slowdown compared to the remarkable 8.5 percent growth recorded in the same quarter of 2022. Namibia’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2023 was N$58.6 billion, displaying an increase of N$7.3 billion compared to the same period in 2022. This is according to Alex Shimuafeni, Statistician-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), who presented the economic performance report for the second quarter of 2023 this week. He, however, indicated that the real…

22 Sep

NAMFISA spends over N$14 million on rental fees annually

info_e12wt4csMainNAMFISA spends over N$14 million on rental fees annually

Martin Endjala The Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) has been paying N$14,985,114 per annum on office rental fees to occupy the building it is currently operating from in the Central Business District of the Namibian capital. This means for the past four years, the financial regulator has spent close to N$60 million on the lease of the building since occupying it on 15 June 2020. NAMFISA Communications Manager, Victoria Muranda, confirmed these figures during an interview with the Windhoek Observer this week. She said the leased building which NAMFISA currently occupies at the Gutenberg Plaza was procured through the…

22 Sep

Swartbooi concerned about certain aspects of the fishing industry

info_e12wt4csNational News

Stefanus Nashama The leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM), Bernadus Swartbooi, has expressed deep concern about the Namibian fishing industry which he feels has been under constant attack and in crisis because of illegal fishing by foreign vessels due to poor governmental policy implementation. He was speaking at a media engagement in Windhoek this week where he discussed several issues surrounding the Namibian Fishing Industry, accountability structures in Namibia and the Southern Africa Development Community observer mission to the recent Zimbabwean elections. According to Swartbooi, six to seven foreign fishing trawlers sailing under the Angolan flag are harvesting close…

22 Sep

NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

info_e12wt4csNational NewsMusheko, NAMSIP boosted by 168 brand new tractors

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) has acquired 168 of the 350 tractors expected under the Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP). The ministry’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko says the initiative is set to empower small-scale farmers and bolster agricultural productivity across the nation. In addition to the tractors, the ministry has also launched a tender for the design and construction of the proposed seed processing plants. “The Seed Processing Plants will be built in the Zambezi, Kavango East, Kavango West, Oshikoto and Omusati regions once the designs are complete,” he said. He said…

22 Sep

Genocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

info_e12wt4csNational NewsGenocide and apartheid still pose a risk to restorative justice

Stefanus Nashama Panduleni Itula, the Leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), says the genocide of both the Ovaherero and Nama people and the torturous years of apartheid are foundational pains that still reverberate in Namibian society. Itula yesterday said that the comparison of this foundational trauma risks undermining the quest for restorative justice for both. According to Itula, the evils of genocide and apartheid each scarred the national psyche in unique ways. He added that the comparison sets the stage for structural inequalities the country still grapples with. Itula echoed the sentiments of McHenry Venaani, the leader of…

22 Sep

Predictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

info_e12wt4csNational NewsPredictable financing needed to reach developmental goals

Niël Terblanché While addressing the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Hage Geingob advocated for the urgent need for sustainable and predictable financing to achieve global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reflecting on the past eight years, Geingob recalled the collective commitment made to prioritize people-centred development, emphasizing the need to ensure no one feels marginalized. “The promise to ensure that no one feels left out remains the clarion call,” he said. The President brought Namibia’s challenges to the forefront during his address. He recounted the myriad of adversities the nation has faced, ranging from the commodity crisis…

22 Sep

Less than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

info_e12wt4csNational NewsLess than a third of cell phone subscribers have registered their SIM cards

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Executive Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Audrin Mathe, has characterized the pace of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration by the public as sluggish. According to Mathe, only 795,991 out of 2,760,804 cellphone users have heeded the call. Dr Mathe revealed yesterday that the ministry is concerned about the lukewarm response from the public regarding registering their SIM cards with network service providers. “The set due date is looming, and he emphasized that it will not be extended,” he warned. According to the information received from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) as…