Category: Business & Finance

To lower the chance of accidents and car damage, the Eenhana Town Council has started road repairs at the town.

Town spokesperson Ottilie Shingenge, in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday, said that the work is being done through the Department of Urban Development and Technical Services.

Shingenge indicated that the focus is on road works, maintenance and rehabilitation of potholes, uneven surfaces, as well as faded road markings which are likely to cause vehicles to lose control or suffer damages, that can lead to accidents.

According to Shingenge, every financial year Council makes a budget provision for road maintenance, which is fully subsidised by the Road Fund Administration.

‘The road maintenance work is done on an annual basis as we are aware that during the rainy season, roads are prone to damages, which normally results in uneven surfaces and potholes around town,’ she said.

She added that the council in this regard employs individuals or residents on a contract basis to perform the actual work
of road maintenance.

She stressed that the council did not contract a company to do road maintenance, but rather employed local people on a contract basis, of which the majority are from marginalised groups or backgrounds and they conduct this work under the supervision and with the technical department team, overseeing that the work done is up to standard.

Shingenge noted that well maintained roads are safer and reduce rates of accidents or vehicle damage.

Moreover, she stated that the economic impact is that poor road maintenance attracts fewer foreign investors, tourists and visitors alike, which results in limited development, and the town not growing as expected.

This will also mean there will be fewer economic activities because locals will find it difficult to transport their goods due to bad transmission networks.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba has called on traditional leaders to embrace development and economic projects, even if some of these projects may seem unfamiliar to them.

During a meeting with leaders of the Daures Daman Traditional Authority at State House on Monday, Mbumba noted that three years ago, the concept of green hydrogen was unfamiliar in Namibia.

Today, Mumba said the emerging industry has demonstrated economic potential, while citing the Daures Green Hydrogen Village as an example. This project is expected to come into operation in July 2024 and expected to produce renewable energy, hydrogen, and ammonia.

Mbumba said traditional leaders have a role to play in economic activities including availing land to new projects in their jurisdictions.

‘That is what all of us are doing, trying things we have never seen before, we have never done before. But if those things are bringing development to our communities, to our constituencies and our country, let’s try them,’ the president said about av
ailing land to investors.

‘So we should not doubt that what we are trying to do is somehow a mistake, the land they can never take it away. They can do a few things on it but they will never take it away.’

Chief Zacharias Seibeb of the Daures Daman Traditional Authority accompanied by the management of the Daures Green Hydrogen Village including its chief executive officer Jerome Namaseb, paid a courtesy visit to President Mbumba. They briefed him on the progress of the green hydrogen project in the Erongo Region.

Chief Seibeb explained that, although he was unfamiliar with the concept, the Daures Traditional Authority made a decision to allocate 15 000 hectares to the green hydrogen project.

‘I had to put my hand in the darkness for my community and Namibians at large, this because green hydrogen was not known to myself or Namibia. But [the] little I heard from the young Namibians was not a risk or threat to the environment and the communities,’ he relayed.

‘This programme is designed to enable Namibian
s to be part of the green hydrogen as introduced to us by our partners in the project. During many consultations we had, we were excited about this new development which we foresee to bring about the much needed opportunities in the area,’ the chief said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibia’s Green Hydrogen Commissioner, James Mnyupe, has commended the advancements made at the Daures Green Hydrogen Village.

The project in the Erongo Region, and one green hydrogen initiative in the country, is expected to start producing green hydrogen, ammonia, and green tomatoes in July.

Mnyupe said on Monday that the Daures green hydrogen project’s success will be showcased at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands, taking place from 13-15 May 2024.

‘The key objective of the Namibian green hydrogen programme and the Daures project would be to showcase this particular project to prospective investors. The project is really coming to the end of its pilot phase and is now looking for substantial investors to consider the feasibility of entering the industrial-scale project,’ Mnyupe said during a meeting at State House.

Jerome Namaseb, the Chief Executive Officer of Daures Green Hydrogen, said during a meeting with President Nangolo Mbumba the pilot project will be producing 18 t
ons of green hydrogen and 100 tons of ammonia per year.

He said that the project is further expected to produce green fertiliser for local consumption.

Namaseb said the firm aims to address and hopes to implement a pilot production of ammonium sulphate fertiliser.

‘It will be the first fertiliser created in the Namibian economy, which we believe will be a significant win for both aspirations around our industrialisation as well as de-risking the current exposure of our farmers to global ammonia prices,’ Namaseb said.

In 2022, Namibia and the German government signed a Joint Communique of Intent (JCOI) to provide funding worth N.dollars 816 million for pilot plant projects and capacity development projects over the course of five years.

Namaseb said the construction of the Daures project, including the pilot phase, was funded with a JCOI grant.

Mnyupe advised the government to come on board to help the project in its next phase.

‘But really, it could now be up to the Namibian government as a whole to sa
y the German government has brought this project thus far, how can we join hands to get this project to an industrial scale where we can see those thousands of jobs and the production of fertiliser,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

In an effort to ensure that fish is distributed to more consumers across the country, the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) has partnered with selected third parties.

The partnership, which involved 13 distribution agents from 11 regions, was established through a pilot Agency Distribution Project (ADP) with agreements signed in Walvis Bay on Friday.

According to NFCPT Chief Executive Officer, Victor Pea, the pilot project was initiated after NFCPT realised that its expansion had made it difficult for small fish distributors in towns where it operates to compete with the trust, leading to some businesses closing or experiencing a decline in their fish sales.

‘While NFCPT expanded and saw an increase in fish distribution year-on-year, our growth inadvertently isolated us and somewhat conflicted with our aim to make fish more accessible to Namibians. Therefore, in 2017, when we were formulating the new Strategic Plan, management proposed a change in mission, shifting from aspiring ‘To be the p
referred fish distributor in Namibia’ to being ‘The catalyst for fish consumption for a healthy Namibia’,’ Pea explained.

He added that this change in focus means NFCPT is transitioning from being competitive to being collaborative and empowering, and it is this shift that gave rise to the idea for the ADP. The Distribution Model, with an initial investment of N.dollars 807,200, is a collaboration between NFCPT and the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s Business Innovation Institute.

Phase 1 of this project took place in 2022, where an information and training session was held for interested individuals, who subsequently applied for selection as agents.

The agents comprise 13 companies, ensuring, according to Pea, good gender and youth representation.

Chairperson of the NFCPT Board of Trustees, Suzan Ndjaleka, noted that during the project spanning over six months, NFCPT will evaluate the financial viability and performance of the 13 distribution agents.

‘The data collection during the pilot
phase will be crucial, not only for deciding whether to fully implement this project, but also to assess what kind of support is necessary for a successful partnership between NFCPT and distributors,’ she stated.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The African Aquaculture Company (ACC) is expected to provide about 5000 jobs through direct and indirect beneficiation, full production, in-house and services, logistics and construction.

This will be due to the company’s acquisition of an ‘Offshore Commercial Phase’ license, which will pave the way for Sub-Saharan Africa’s first commercial salmon farming and production facility.

ACC is a subsidiary of the Norway-based Norwegian African Aquaculture Company.

In a media statement issued on Friday, the company’s Operations President in Namibia, Clement Kaukuetu, noted that the license is operational for 15 years.

With operations mainly focused in three offshore sites; north-west of Lderitz in the ||Kharas region. The AAC, according to Kaukuetu, will be producing high value and omega rich Atlantic Salmon for export as well as domestic markets.

‘Relying on Norwegian expertise, the AAC anticipates the initial phase to commence in early May with projected production capacity of 50 thousand tonnes per annum.

Th
e salmon farms are envisaged to contribute to the socio-economic progression of the country through infrastructure development, job creation and skills transfer,’ Kaukuetu noted.

He added that the AAC is cognizant of the beginning of the industry is embarking on the establishment of a local Salmon Farming Association to invite more players into the globally lucrative salmon fishing industry.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Namibian Standards Institution on Tuesday, during their stakeholder awareness campaign, engaged representatives of the Omaheke Region on the newly enacted Metrology Act, Act 5 of 2022.

The meeting at Gobabis attracted stakeholders from government institutions and business people including farmers from the region, with the aim of creating awareness of the new Act before its implementation.

Omaheke Regional Governor Pijoo Nganate, who was the keynote speaker, highlighted the importance of the new Act to Omaheke as a region and how it will transform the regional economy to the benefit of its people, especially farmers.

‘Metrology encompasses the principles in our daily lives, from the weight of the cattle we raise to the distance our goods travel across borders. Metrology ensures that these measurements are accurate, reliable and standardised,’ he noted.

Nganate furthermore indicated that because the region is known for its cattle farming, precision in measurement is crucial.

‘Accurate measurements of l
ivestock health, feed quantities and milk production are crucial for maximising productivity and ensuring animal welfare. The new Metrology Act will provide farmers with the tools and standards necessary to make informed decisions and optimise their farming practices, leading to increased efficiency and profitability,’ Nganate said.

The governor urged all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the new Act and embrace the opportunities it will present in the region and the country at large.

‘This legislation is more than just numbers and standards, it is about ensuring a bright and prosperous future for our livestock farming and industrial community,’ he said.

Simasiku Matali, the head of metrology at the Namibian Standards Institution indicated that the new Act is aimed at informing and capacitating the nation on changes to the metrology legal framework. On administration and enforcement related matters, he also shared that they are engaging all stakeholders in the 14 regions of Namibia.

‘The Act cam
e at a time when Namibia is experiencing a growing need for accelerated metrology services and regulatory framework as a result of domestic and international market access,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu, has emphasised the importance of ensuring that the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Bill is fit for purpose and guarantees that an avenue for value addition is created to generate jobs.

According to the minister, the establishment of SEZ can significantly boost industrialisation, enhance export capabilities, and stimulate economic growth, especially as Namibia readies itself to participate fully in the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Adopted in August 2022, the SEZ Policy includes a provision for both fiscal and non-fiscal investment incentives for various investment categories such as exporters and manufacturers.

Iipumbu, who was speaking at stakeholder consultations on the drafting of the SEZ policy, national informal economy, startups and entrepreneurship development policy in Walvis Bay on Monday, noted that these legislations are key in shaping the economic dimension of Namibia which can ultimately result in significant growth and de
velopment of the country.

‘Firstly, SEZs have over the years proven to be a catalyst for economic transformation around the globe, which is done through creating specific areas with favourable business conditions and incentives advanced by government, in order to boost and attract both domestic and foreign investments, foster innovation, and generate employment opportunities,’ the minister said.

It is for this reason that the ministry embarked on a journey to tailor the SEZ concept to Namibia’s unique needs and aspirations in order to eventually have it as a law to replace the Economic Processing Zone (EPZ) regime, which has thus far brought about various challenges.

Erongo hosts 3 981 business establishments, of which 3 286 were characterised as micro establishments, 453 as small establishments and 195 as medium establishments respectively.

Governor Neville Andre Itope said that only 47 establishments in the region constitute large establishments.

‘Therefore, it becomes important that our engagements ar
e focused on advancing these businesses, to help them grow by creating a conducive and enabling legislation, operational environment that will eventually stimulate optimal growth and investment of these and future prospective ones,’ he added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency