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Application and issuance of MIT permits free of charge

The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) has said the application for, and issuance of import, export, rebates and transit permits are free of charge.

MIT Executive Director (ED), Sikongo Haihambo in a statement informed the public that applications and issuance of MIT permits are free of charge and that all individuals seeking import, export, rebate, or transit permits should apply on the MIT official website.

This statement was issued after the ministry noticed that some individuals, agents, and groups have been misleading the public and charging them on the applications and issuance of MIT permits.

The ED urged the public to report any activities related to payment for the application and issuance of permits to the ministry.

Haihambo also encouraged the public to seek assistance at any of the ministries’ 14 regional offices at no cost.

Source: Namibia News Agency

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Investing in technology crucial to tourism: Grandcourt

It is imperative to invest in technological development and in human resources by capacitating the next generation of tourism professionals and leaders with strong digital skills.

This, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Director for the Africa Department Elcia Grandcourt, is paramount and instrumental to drive the future of the sector and contribute to the socio-economic advancement of the African region.

Grandcourt while addressing the opening session of the 5th African Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit (AYITS) on Wednesday in Swakopmund, said innovation, technology and digitalisation are an integral part of the evolution process of the tourism industry.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the urgency to integrate digital technology into the tourism and travel industry to reimagine businesses and destinations, design innovative tourism experiences, create or modify existing business operating processes, so as to adapt to the new conditions and features of the global context,” she explained.

Africa, she added is the youngest continent in the world, with 60 per cent of its population being under the age of 25, which should be an opportunity for the continent’s growth.

“This can only however be the case if these new generations are fully empowered to realise their best potential. It is thus especially important that young people are included in the decision-making processes and given appropriate opportunities and proper means to work and innovate the tourism sector,” the director stressed.

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope at the same event supported the recently established Africa Tourism Innovation Hub’s main objectives to support the digital transformation in the tourism sector and build pragmatic tourism entrepreneurship programmes that empowers the youth with insight of the tourism enterprises and business intellectual property in formation and access to global travel markets, mentorship and funding opportunities.

Established in Namibia at the 4th AYITS held in Windhoek in 2022, the African Tourism Innovation Hub aims to provide mentorship to enterprising youth from across the continent and transition their ideas into viable start-up companies.

“The Namibian Government has put together a roadmap which is the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (2022-2024), to aid the recovery process of the sector,” Itope highlighted.

Source: Namibia News Agency

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Shifeta urges African youth to contribute to developmental goals

Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta has emphasised the importance of African youth contributing to innovative development programmes that are compatible to the Sustainable Development Goals and regional tourism programmes.

Shifeta at the opening of the African Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge at Swakopmund on Wednesday said young people should aim to become transformational industry change-makers and future leaders of the tourism sector.

“The youth of Africa and all industry players should collaborate and form partnerships to place African brands/destinations at the centre of the global dialogue, displaying and expressing the love and warmth of the African people, diverse culture, abundant wildlife and rich history of the continent in your engagements with friends across the globe,” he expressed.

The Namibian Government, he said, is a member state of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), which enables it to subscribe to and support its agenda of Africa that positions tourism at the centre stage for inclusive growth in order to optimise the sector’s contribution to sustainable development of Africa at large.

“This African agenda for inclusive development can only be achieved with the inclusion of the youth and women in the tourism ecosystem. I therefore urge you all to embrace innovation, digital disruptive change and harness your potential to succeed in the tourism sector and your participation at this summit is of utmost crucial and surely indicates your passion and love for the industry,” he said.

The summit is a pan-African youth initiative which was established in 2019 in South Africa.

It serves as a voice for the youth and emerging enterprises in tourism, travel, hospitality, aviation and all related industries with the sole objective to among others; connect, innovate and grow themselves, their businesses and the entire travel & tourism economy of the African countries.

The four-day event aims to harmonise and influence government policies, introduce strategies and adopt new technologies that support the development and growth of the Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises, tourism businesses and create market access for youth entrepreneurship.

It is being attended both in-person and virtually by about 2 000 attendees from 38 African countries.

Source: Namibia News Agency

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Int’l Community behind National Dialogue in Ethiopia: UNDP Resident Representative

The international community is behind the national dialogue in Ethiopia and places much importance in the process that brings and consolidates peace in the country, UNDP Resident Representative Turhan Saleh told ENA.

The representative said that the international community, which is behind this process, is supporting the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) to build its capacity to undertake the dialogue successfully.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Saleh noted that the commission is incredibly important because it would enable to find peaceful means of resolving differences of important national issues in the country.

According to him, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has a significant role for the development of political culture in instilling the spirit of negotiation and compromise.

The dialogue will provide a forum for allowing the participants to find common ground that provides something and benefits Ethiopia, he added.

The United Nations Development Programme, on behalf of the UNDP, is coordinating all development assistance to the National Dialogue Commission.

UNDP Resident Representative Saleh revealed that 35 million USD support is expected for projects related to the dialogue commission in 3 years.

The first country, Japan, recently provided 3 million USD assistance through UNDP to the process and other countries will come to forward soon, he said.

The representative stressed that this shows how much importance the international community places on the national dialogue process to bring and consolidate peace in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission was established by the House of People’s Representatives in February 2022 with a three-year mandate to lead an independent, inclusive, and transparent national dialogue across the country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

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Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative Exemplary for Africa: ECA Director

The Green Legacy, which enhances biodiversity side by side with economic activities, is an interesting example for Africans, the Economic Commission for Africa Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Director said.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Technology, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Director, Jean-Paul Adam told ENA that the Green Legacy program that Ethiopia has been undertaking side by side with other economic activities, such as growing coffee, which provides jobs and improves livelihood not only contributes to the protection of biodiversity but also to the economy.

“There are some interesting examples in Ethiopia, where you have the Green Legacy, which protects the natural environment; and it happens side by side with economic activities,” he said, adding that the “growing of coffee (for example) provides jobs and which improve livelihoods.”

According to him, it’s very important that these types of planting are done in a way that enhances biodiversity; and this means properly choosing the type of plants and also looking at the impact of this planting on the environment.

For instance, the country is considering how the plantation can address the issue of water retention, he noted.

Indigenous saplings friendly to the environment and seedlings that boost agricultural yields have been increased during the Green Legacy plantation campaigns, it was learned.

UNECA has been providing technical support to Ethiopia’s works to protect biodiversity.

Adam pointed out that “Ethiopia is already doing a program that is very vast and which has a very big impact, and we are supporting simply to provide technical expertise to ensure that you are getting the right results.”

The country is also doing a successful program for building back better post-COVID-19 in terms of launching a biodiversity green initiative to promote the sustainable management of catchment areas in critical energy infrastructure zones by deploying nature-based solutions.

The Green Legacy Initiative which protects biodiversity side by side with economic activities that benefit the people through job creation and improving livelihood is an interesting example for Africans.

The director believes that biodiversity is one of the most important elements for African countries to realize economic transformation.

However, it is being exploited, extracted, or made use of without benefiting enough of the population, according to Adam.

“So having the right frameworks on the protection of biodiversity can allow us to develop economic activities that protect the biodiversity, while also delivering improvements in job creation and livelihoods.”

The director advises countries to maximize their income from different sectors, including ecotourism, by developing sustainable value chains in agriculture.

African countries should also have strategies for better coordination in implementing the Convention on Biodiversity and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna in a way that also improves their economic opportunities.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

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Chris McCloskey Joins Duck Creek as Chief Operating Officer

Boston, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of Property and Casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today announces the addition of Chris McCloskey to its leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. McCloskey will be instrumental in driving key strategy, operational and transformation initiatives across the entire business, particularly within our customer and professional services organizations.

McCloskey joins Duck Creek from Datto, where he was most recently Chief Customer Officer for the cybersecurity and business continuity company. At Datto, McCloskey was responsible for building a new customer success organization that significantly improved technical implementation, customer satisfaction and retention, and partner health. Before joining Datto, McCloskey grew through sales and customer-facing leadership roles to become COO, Americas at London-based Finastra, a multi-billion-dollar financial services software company.

“We are delighted to welcome Chris to Duck Creek’s leadership team; he will help us continue to better focus on increasing lifetime value and enable our customers to be more successful,” said Mike Jackowski, CEO of Duck Creek. “Chris is incredibly accomplished in growing and leading large teams through transformation, and having him as a strategic customer-facing leader is the perfect match to advance our vision.”

McCloskey Chris earned his MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Gettysburg College.

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and Twitter.

Carley Bunch
Duck Creek Technologies
2019626091
carley.bunch@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8847565

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Hitachi Energy signs agreements with ENOWA and Saudi Electricity Company to design and develop the first phase of visionary NEOM region transmission system

Collaboration to accelerate the development of NEOM in Saudi Arabia with up to 9 gigawatts of power transmission capacity

Zurich, Switzerland, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future for all, has signed agreements under the supervision and management of the Ministry of Energy with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and with ENOWA. The agreements include the supply of three high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems to end customer ENOWA, the utility company for NEOM in Northwest Saudi Arabia. Built with sustainability in mind, NEOM is among Saudi Arabia’s Giga-Projects1 reshaping the future of development. The three HVDC links will have a total power capacity of up to 9 gigawatts (GW).

The agreements include an order from ENOWA’s engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) partner, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) awarded to Hitachi Energy and its consortium partner, Saudi Services for Electro Mechanical Works (SSEM), to provide one of the world’s first 3 GW, 525 kilovolt (kV) HVDC Light® transmission system connecting Oxagon, NEOM’s regional development, with the larger Yanbu area more than 650 kilometers away in Western Saudi Arabia.

Hitachi Energy’s scope of supply includes design, engineering, procurement of HVDC technology and commissioning of the HVDC Light converter stations. Whilst SSEM – a leading Saudi EPC specialized in power, water and industrial projects – will design and supply the AC equipment portion and perform the construction and the installation. The converter stations convert the power from AC to DC then back to AC for integration into the receiving grid. The converters will be sourced by and supplied to Saudi Electricity Company, who were contracted in 2022 by ENOWA to act as their EPCM to build this first HVDC system for NEOM.

Further to this, Hitachi Energy and ENOWA have signed an early works and capacity reservation agreement for two additional HVDC projects, each rated up to 3 GW. Under this agreement, both companies commit to having the resources and capacity necessary to implement these two HVDC systems. As part of a new scalable and modular regional network design that is targeted to seamlessly integrate future renewables and energy storage technologies in the NEOM Energy System, making it unique in terms of size and complexity. The co-operation will also explore opportunities to develop local competencies in the Kingdom, including ways to sustainably assemble the necessary HVDC Light components locally.

“We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with ENOWA and Saudi Electricity Company in order to power one of the most visionary development projects of all time,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “As the world progresses towards a more sustainable future, our expertise and HVDC technologies are true enablers of the electrification of the global energy system and the transition to renewables.”

“By securing the first capacities for such an important part of our future grid in only one year since the decision to use this technology, we show ENOWA’s commitment to supporting Saudi Vision 2030 in collaboration with Saudi Electricity Company and Hitachi Energy,” said Thorsten Schwarz, Executive Director of Grid Technology & Projects, Energy of ENOWA.

ENOWA, NEOM’s energy and water company, produces and delivers clean and sustainable energy for industrial and commercial applications. The company benefits from NEOM’s greenfield site and strategic location in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia, with abundant solar and wind resources. ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally.

ENOWA seeks by its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable economic circular systems around the world. Formed in 2022, ENOWA is the principal shareholder in the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant set to be commissioned in 2026 and will enable NEOM to be a global green hydrogen hub.

NEOM will be powered by 100 percent clean energy, through renewable solar, wind and green hydrogen-based energy. The region is designed to be a blueprint for sustainable urban living with minimal impact on the environment and enhanced livability.

Note to editors:
Hitachi Energy’s HVDC solution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves; the MACH™ digital control platform2, converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.

HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy, which was launched over 25 years ago. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and “power-from-shore” connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light’s defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects.

Hitachi Energy’s consulting services assist energy customers in pinpointing their challenges and suggesting customized solutions tailored to their unique requirements. Our consultants operate independently, with a product and system-agnostic approach, possessing in-depth knowledge of global technologies, standards, and local grid codes.

1 Saudi’s Giga-Projects
2 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH™)

See also:
Hitachi Energy to supply the first ever large-scale HVDC interconnection in the Middle East and North Africa (2022)
Hitachi Energy and Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority sign contract to upgrade high-voltage direct current transmission system (2023)

ENOWA website

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About Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

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Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
jocelyn.chang@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8848737