Day: May 8, 2023

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) launched the first-ever electronic Fleet Management System (FMS) here Monday.

The electronic FMS is a solution to the management, monitoring, and control of the ministry’s fleet with real-time data to improve operational efficiency and enable management to make quick and informed decisions relating to fleet management.

In her remarks at the launch, MME Deputy Minister Kornelia Shilunga said the system will minimize paperwork and time spent during vehicle management processes.

“This occasion undoubtedly presents a significant milestone in the management of the ministry and government transport system, as it will enable us to improve and deliver basic services to all our people,” Shilunga said.

The Ministry, she added hopes to see the FMS implemented across all government offices, ministries, agencies, and other public institutions.

Speaking at the same event, the ministry’s Chief Analyst Programmer Andreas Mutota who designed and developed the system and its specifications in 2018, said MME will temporarily host the system until it is passed over to the Office of the Prime Minister, where it will be based.

“The FMS is now owned by the government and therefore falls under government assets,” Mutota said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Namibian High Commission in Ghana recently hosted the Namibia Investment and Trade Business Forum in efforts to market the country as a lucrative trading partner and investment destination.

The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation in a statement said Namibia is well on course to enhance her presence in Ghana and beyond, with strong participation in the 53rd General Assembly of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), which took place in Accra from 23 to 28 April 2023.

It said to build up anticipation for Namibia’s participation in the General Assembly, the delegation hosted the Investment and Trade Business Forum at the Namibian High Commission in Accra to “create linkages with the local business community, while highlighting the comparative advantages that position Namibia as a lucrative trading partner and investment destination.”

The event drew over 100 entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors in Ghana, including oil and gas, real estate, agribusiness, tourism, mining, ICT, arts and fashion.

Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu addressed the forum on Namibia’s investment climate and economic opportunities, while Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) Chief Executive Officer Nangula Uaandja did a presentation on investment opportunities in Namibia.

‘Namibia also had an attractive exhibition booth where various products including meat and meat products, dairy products, pomegranates, dates, maize and wheat products, beer, wine, spirits, cow hides, cosmetics, charcoal, artefacts, Nakara handbags and coats, were displayed,’ it said.

According to the statement, the 53rd General Assembly of the WTCA was the first of its kind to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The annual event brings together high-level government and business delegates from across the globe. Namibia participated in the General Assembly under the sub-theme ‘Namibia: the land of many opportunities’, with a focus on agriculture, fisheries, mining, tourism, energy, logistics infrastructure and real estate.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for the immediate end of hostilities between all armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The call was made by the SADC Extra-ordinary Organ Troika Summit and Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) Troop Contributing Countries (TCC), chaired by President Hage Geingob, in Windhoek on Monday.

The eastern DRC has been plagued with conflict involving at least 122 rebel groups, according to a recent count by the United Nations. SADC formed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region in February 2013, aimed at ushering im peace, stability and security in DRC and the Great Lakes Regions.

Reading the summit communique, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Mpedi Magosi said SADC reiterated its call for an immediate end to hostilities by all armed groups and unconditional withdrawal from the currently occupied areas.

SADC further called for immediate regional support to the government of DRC to address the prevailing security situation in eastern DRC, ahead of the national elections scheduled to be held in December 2023, he said.

Magosi also noted that SADC approved the deployment of a SADC Force within the framework of the SADC Standby Force as a regional response in support of DRC to restore peace and security.

“Summit approved a SADC ‘Common Position’ to have more concern of the unstable and deteriorating security situation prevailing in the eastern DRC and reiterated its strong condemnation of the upsurge of conflicts and activities of Armed Groups, including the resurgence of M23 rebels in the DRC,” he read.

The summit was attended by the heads of state of Namibia, South Africa, DRC, Tanzania and representatives of Angola, Malawi and Zambia, including the executive secretary of SADC.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Recurring drought leading to crop failure and low harvests warrants the prioritisation of responsive actions to address human and livestock needs, Minister of Agriculture Calle Schlettwein has said.

Speaking at the opening of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform’s planning workshop in Swakopmund on Monday, Schlettwein said drought relief measures and distribution networks should be mobilised to mitigate devastating impacts on producers.

“The recurrence of the drought phenomenon also underscores the need for urgent implementation of drought preparedness measures, such as the expanded activity to harvest rain and flood water for better adaptation and resilience in the future,” the minister noted.

He further emphasised the immediate commencement of feasibility studies for timely project planning and budgeting in the next financial year on the basis of assessed feasibility, including for the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Project. Other critical projects are assessment for the establishment of a veterinary barrier to effectively prevent the introduction of Foot and Mouth Disease and Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) into the NCA, and for the extension of the Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory at the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the establishment of a local vaccine production capacity in the future.

“The feasibility study for the Neckartal Irrigation Project should also be extended to include community consultation on the appropriate model for the green scheme which optimises local participation options. Equally, our interventions on the effective veterinary barrier should go beyond conducting the feasibility study to include immediate steps to nullify the effects of the veterinary cordon fence by starting with the compartmentalisation of veterinary zones, commencing with the Kunene Region and Mangetti areas.”

The minister further stressed that effective management of the green schemes is a key lever for food security and food self-sufficiency, saying the ministry should urgently finalise and implement new lease agreements where awards are made to enable timely injection of private capital to wean these schemes from the government budget.

Ministry officials will during the workshop focus on the strategic plan and presentations on various programmes and projects within the ministry.

The week-long meeting will also present a platform for various stakeholders to coordinate planning within the agricultural sector.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency