Regierungsmitteilungen

Pohamba’s last State of Nation: … On his retirement, education, corruption and BIG

New Era, 28/03/2014 HE President Pohamba

WINDHOEK – “This time next year you will have someone new in State House. Guess who? God knows, that is all I am saying,” President Hifikepunye Pohamba said lightly off the cuff during yesterday’s State of the Nation Address minutes before the traditional question and answer session with opposition Members of Parliament, some of whom asked about his retirement plans after his presidency ends in March next year.   “From the presidency I will do politics, mobilising my party, to ensure that the electorate keep voting for my party. I think with the administrative knowledge I acquired as president, I will do well to convince people. In addition, I will assist at the village to cultivate the land,” Pohamba said cheerfully.

He was nevertheless outspoken on the government’s stance on the Basic Income Grant (BIG), in response to a question posed by All People Party’s president Ignatius Shixwameni.

“To me it does not make sense to dish out money to people for doing nothing. To dish out money to people organised to do something, people who are working, that is better. It is not good to encourage people not to work. People must work,” Pohamba said giving an example of clearing land for cultivation as one of the types of work that could be performed in exchange for money.

Responding to questions on education by the president of the Congress of Democrats, Ben Ulenga, Pohamba said: “I am disappointed in education. You pump in money but the outcome is not impressive. The rate of failure is something that disappoints me, not only me, but parents. I think it is our teachers who are either reluctant to teach or are not qualified.” He also chastised MPs for not taking the lead in assisting the education ministry to find solutions to the problem.

Addressing the question of corruption, which Ulenga described as an issue that Pohamba spoke strongly about when he entered the presidency but with seemingly less presidential action, Pohamba reminded MPs that it is “not for me as president to investigate corruption, or do you want me to go from house to house investigating corruption?” Pohamba nevertheless revealed that he is dissatisfied with how the society seems to condone corruption. POhamba.jpg.pagespeed.ce.Yyat635bRc

“I am not happy because I too suspect corruption is here with us. All we have to do is report it to the institutions set up to deal with corruption,” he said, adding that prolonged investigations drain state resources as suspended individuals continue to draw salaries while under investigation that takes years. “Investigations go on for years and nothing comes up. It is discouraging and your president is not happy with that.”

Pohamba, answering the question on urban land being expensive from Clara Gowases of Republican Party, said: “I agree with you land is expensive. Certain councils have been asked to reduce the prices, they are part of the government yet they charge so much. You say we are number four in the world for expensive land, the world is so large and we are number four. I am so disappointed that we are number four.” Gowases had referred to the Knight Frank Global House Price Index 2012 report that ranked Namibia behind Brazil, Dubai and Hong Kong at number one.

By Desie Heita

click here to read the entire speech as pdf document

New Era, 14/03/2014

Fish exports generated N$5 billion


WALVIS BAY – The value of Namibian fish and fishery products for 2012 was estimated at N$5.2 billion while the Gross Domestic Product contribution for the same year is put at 3.9 percent.
 
MInisterThe Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernard Esau, said this was a clear indication – despite negative factors affecting the industry – that the sector remained resilient and continues being one of the key pillars of the  country’s national economy.
 
During 2011 the final value of exports in the fishing sector stood at N$5.1 billion, which was an increase from the N$4.4 billion exported in 2010.
 
Esau was addressing the entire fishing industry during the annual stakeholders address that  took place at Walvis Bay yesterday. The annual address is hosted every year to review the performance of  the fishing industry and  address challenges facing the sector.
 
Esau said that despite a decline in the total allowable catch (TAC) for some species the contribution  of the fishing sector to the GDP generally showed  an upward trend and was forecast to slightly improve for 2013 on the back of global recovery.
 
According to the minister the industry also invested approximately N$212 million during 2013 of which N$187 million was invested in a single fishery.

The industry  contributed N$50 million to  corporate and social investment in the form of fish donations, school material and health scholarships.
 
The industry created 13 380 jobs according to the ministry’s verification report of 2013.
 
“This  compares favourably  with the ministry’s five-year plan target which was to employ 13 854 people by  last year.  We are only 478 jobs short against the plan, however I am confident  that we can easily reach our goal within the next 18 months,” Esau explained.
 
He urged right holders and players in the fishing industry to create more jobs, through continuous value addition and diversifying of markets.
 
“We witness new additions such as the canning of fish and land-based processing of horse-mackerel.  All these initiatives are applauded highly and we will continue with the emphasis on value addition and  the marketing of high value products in order to realise optimum benefits from our natural resources in terms of foreign currency and  job creation,” he said.
 
“In this regard, the ministry has introduced the requirement that 2 per cent of the horse-mackerel TAC be directed to the horse-mackerel cannery as part of  the horse-mackerel value addition canning initiatives under the 2014 quota allocations,” the minister said.
 
By Eveline de Klerk
WALVIS BAY - The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources has urged the fishing sector to market more of Namibian fisheries products to the world.
Bernard-EsauEsau made the remarks on Thursday at Walvis Bay during his annual stakeholders address where he also raised concern over the looming  EPA deadline. A deadline has been set for the end of the duty-free, quota-free market access to the European market.
The deadline for the duty-free, quota-free market access is set at October 1 this year unless an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has been ratified or a full EPA is signed.
According to the minister there was another round of negotiations that took place in February and March this year in South Africa.
The final round will be held in Brussels to conclude the negotiations on substantive dates.
“This looming deadline is a concern for all of us but in the interim we will maintain current preferential market access with the European Union,” Esau explained.
The fishing industry should aggressively embark upon programmes for alternative markets, said Esau.
“Europe should not be the only alternative.  Explore Africa, America and home is also a market,” stressed the fisheries minister.
He went on to say the industry would be informed at the right time on some significant issues relevant to the EPAs.
“Therefore let us keep our channel of communication opens to ensure we meet the deadline,” he said.
EPAs between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions are aimed at promoting trade between the two groupings, and through trade development, sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
These agreements are set out to help ACP countries integrate into the world economy, and share in opportunities offered by globalisation.
For well over 30 years, exports from the ACP countries were given generous access to the European market.
The negotiations are critical, and Namibia needs to find an appropriate balance in making and getting concessions in the EU market.
Key to successful negotiations for Namibia are in the areas of rules of origin, regional industrialisation and integration.
Namibia also needs to refine its policy on export taxes, customs arrangements, and bilateral and agricultural safeguards.
Namibia currently enjoys free access to the EU market, and no duties are paid on Namibian products, whether industrial or agricultural, at EU borders. Namibia is also not subject to quotas
The SADC EPA group is made up of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland (BNLS); as well as Mozambique, Angola, and Tanzania (MAT), sometimes referred to as the BNLS and MAT countries.
By Eveline de Klerk

New Era, 18/03/2014

Home affairs embarks on turnaround

RUNDU – The Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration has embarked on a turnaround strategy to improve service delivery that will be officially launched in April.
Pendukeni.jpg.pagespeed.ce. 3vz8qR3WlAdressing a two-day two-day ministerial brainstorming workshop on improving service to the public on Thursday in Rundu, Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration,  Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, said the new strategy would see a generally improved experience for the general citizen and others making use of the ministry’s services.
The  workshop, which started on Wednesday, brought together staff from the ministry, various traditional leaders, church leaders, councillors, the governors of Kavango West and East and Zambezi as well as members of the Namibian Defence Force and others.
Iivula-Ithana urged staff to get to grips with the various problems facing the particular regions.
Iivula-Ithana also used the occasion to remind the nation that this being an election year citizens can only partake in the elections if they have a valid national identity document.
She also briefed the meeting on the mobile based customer service which she launched in Windhoek on Wednesday, March 12, saying that applicants are now able to query the actual status of their application directly from their mobile phone.
She said all contributions of the meeting would be taken into consideration towards improving service delivery.
By John Muyamba

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