Month: February 2024

WINDHOEK: Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) has announced an Independence special offering a 60 per cent discount on all its accommodation locations for the month of March.

The special is aimed at encouraging Namibians to explore the beauty of their own country by providing significant discounts on accommodation at all Namibia Wildlife Resorts locations, NWR spokesperson Nelson Ashipala said in a press release on Wednesday.

He noted that the programme addresses Namibians’ concerns about the high cost of recreational travel within the country.

‘Starting 01 March, all lodges under NWR’s management will be discounted by 60 per cent, making it easier for locals to experience the diverse landscapes and unique wildlife that Namibia has to offer,’ Ashipala said.

He further said while the special is open to all travellers, NWR hopes to see a strong uptake particularly from locals.

As part of the special, popular lodges such as Khorixas Camp in Damara Land will be available for as little as N.dollars 220 per night,
inclusive of breakfast.

However, Ashipala clarified that seasonal camps such as the Miles along the coastline are not part of the discounted offer.

The Independence Special will run throughout the month of March.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Sri Lanka is keen to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation with Ethiopia, Ambassador K.K Theshantha Kumarasiri said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the ambassador said there are many Sri Lankan business entrepreneurs interested in investing and doing trade with Ethiopia.

Ambassador Kumarasiri stated that Sri Lanka has recently proposed for the first time to sign a MoU with the Addis Chamber and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

‘It is a business interaction that we are going to sign by which we expect to establish a kind of institutional framework where entrepreneurs could utilize that potential so that we expand the trade,’ he explained.

According to him, there are potentials of enhancing trade interaction.

Moreover, the ambassador revealed that there is another MoU, particularly with the construction industry, adding bilateral trade and inter construction industry are also moving forward in a positive direction.

He pointed out that President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka and Prime Minis
ter Abiy Ahmed had bilateral meeting in Kampala during the Non-Alignment Summit where they discussed the potential for future cooperation, particularly on the green economy, low economic initiatives, climate change action and also initiatives like agriculture, energy and potential areas of cooperation.

‘We are very much interested in expanding our relations,’ the ambassador said, disclosing that President Wickremesinghe has introduced a new initiative called Look Africa in February last year with the participation of ambassadors of foreign countries accredited to Sri Lanka.

The president initiated this foreign policy initiative to engage more with African countries, particularly in areas of agriculture, energy, green economy and also financial institutions as we always depend on external sources of financing for industries.

Under the South-South cooperation, his government is also promoting cooperation with the South countries particularly on addressing common issues related to climate, education and gove
rnance.

With regard to investment in Ethiopia, the ambassador said there are 4 major Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing industries with the capital of over 15 million USD.

Ambassador Kumarasiri noted that the main attraction was of course AGOA. But without that duty free access now they were struggling to finding out new market access to Europe, UK, France and Germany.

‘Through the support of the Government of Ethiopia and other supportive measures by the Ethiopian institutions, however, all the companies expanded again their manufacturing capacity.’

There are also several Sri Lankans, almost 200 Sri Lankan expertise in Ethiopia in the apparel manufacturing industry, working in other companies, not only the Sri Lankan own company, but of course, companies belongs to India, Chinese and South Korean companies.

They are contributing to the economy and also enhance the capacity of young people employed in those industries, the ambassador elaborated.

Furthermore, ‘the Government of Sri Lanka has invited Ethiop
ian Airlines to commence a direct flight to Colombo, through which we expect actually to enhance our trade interaction and also investment and also tourism sector because Sri Lanka has almost 200 years of history of tourism industry and well established hospitality industries.’

We are again thinking of collaborating in the hospitality industry and have proposed to Ministry of Tourism here to sign a MoU with its Sri Lankan counterpart, the ambassador revealed.

In addition, several companies have approached us to build a kind of connection between Ethiopia and Sri Lanka in the energy sector and nature-based cosmetic industry.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) on Thursday destroyed a consignment of cocaine valued at N.dollars 206 million.

The drugs, according to the Head of NamPol’s Forensic Science Institute, Nelius Becker, were part of a drug trafficking case dating back to June 2018, involving two men, Grant Noble and Dinath Azhar, who have since been convicted and sentenced to prison terms of 12 years. It has since been established that the drugs weighed 412kg and were imported from Brazil through the Port of Walvis Bay.

‘We get the drugs depending on how long the case takes to finalise because we want to take liability of wherever the drugs are being stored. We need to destroy them as quickly as possible because we do not want the drugs to react or disappear in the streets. In the coming weeks, we will be disposing of cannabis,’ Becker said.

He further stressed that although there has not been a lot of cases involving habit-forming drugs such as heroine, there has been an increase in the number of drug traffickin
g cases.

‘We all know what the scourge of drugs is in this country. We should all stand together and fight, to rid the country of this. Unfortunately it appears that some of the harbours in South Africa might not be conducive for these drugs to go through because of the measures put in place, so they move to other venues like the Walvis Bay harbour as a through road to get the drugs somewhere else. It is important that we are vigilant about this,’ Becker added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

In a recent announcement, the Minister of Territorial Administration and President of the National Hajj Commission, Atanga Nji Paul has declared the commencement of registration for the Hajj pilgrimage for the year 2024.

This decision comes amide various challenges, including the recent increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) in Saudi Arabia, housing shortages, and the soaring dollar exchange rate impacting service costs.

According to a communique released on Thursday, February 29, 2024, Paul Atanga Nji announced that the price for the Hajj 2024 has been set at three million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-two (3.267.942) CFA francs, marking an increase compared to the previous year’s edition.

‘Despite the increase in VAT in Saudi Arabia, the scarcity of housing and especially the high rate of the dollar which has a substantial impact on all services, the price of Hajj 2024 amounts to three million two hundred and sixty-seven thousand nine hundred and forty-two (3.267.942) CFA francs,
a slight increase compared to the 2023 edition,’ MINAT boss stated in the communique.

Pilgrims have been urged to take note that registrations through the Single Hajj Window, operated by Afriland First Bank, are now open and will remain so until March 15, 2024.

However, it is emphasized that if the quota of registered pilgrims is reached before the specified date, the Single Window will be automatically closed.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The 5th Ministerial Forum on Migration stressed the need for policy prioritization on skills, youth employment, and job creation as well as harmonization of a regular migration regulatory framework.

The Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration (RMFM) on harmonizing labor migration policies under the theme: ‘Harnessing the power of regular migration pathways for youth employment, skills development, and green economy’ concluded today.

On the occasion, Labor and Skills State Minister Teshale Berecha said that we the RMFM has blossomed into a vital space for consultation and collaboration in the realm of labor migration.

Education is at the heart of addressing the root causes of irregular migration and is a catalytic force to accelerate skill-based, dignified and regular mobility of labor in our region, across the continent and beyond, he added.

According to him, the theme not only aligns with the well-known issue of Africa’s booming youth population but also echoes policymakers’ concerns about harnessing Afr
ica’s demographic dividend for a sustainable future.

One-fifth of the world’s youth resides in our continent, and by 2030, its working-age population will balloon to 600 million, with nearly 40 percent being young people, Teshale said, and added that this presents a golden opportunity, for it would mean over half a billion trained, and empowered individuals can potentially drive development in our continent.

Meanwhile, the State Minister underscored ‘the harsh reality, however, is the alarming unemployment, especially among youth (11.2%) compared to adults (6.7%).

‘Such a challenge can partly be addressed if we focus, for example, on transforming our Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to boost our capacities in implementing various capacity building programs toward promoting skill-based mobility,’ he elaborated.

IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission, Abibatou Wane Fall said on her part that the breadth and scope of the reforms undertaken, and progress made individually as well as colle
ctively demonstrate the importance of labor migration and its corollary for all the Member States.

Skills, youth employment and jobs creation are at the center of the policy priorities of the East and Horn of Africa countries, she pointed out, and added ‘For instance, in Ethiopia the labor market must absorb approximately 2 million new entrants each year.’

‘Sustainable job creation and youth employment is a priority, and the Government of Ethiopia has embarked in ambitious reforms promoting skills development, improving job creation, promoting the business environment, expanding labor migration and none the least engaging diaspora for knowledge, skills and technology transfer,’ the Chief of Mission lauded.

According to her, the RMFM provides an effective platform for interstate cooperation, a model for African multilateral cooperation on migration, and a vehicle for advancing innovative solutions based on shared experience and priorities as well as agreed upon goals.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency