Month: August 2023

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has urged members of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms to develop a robust roadmap that will transform the nation’s economy.

Shettima gave the advice on Monday when he received the members of the Committee, led by its Chairman, Mr Taiwo Oyedele at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

” The task before you is enormous, I believe you have the best brains to come up with a robust roadmap that will reposition our economy.

“And to address some of the fundamental issues underlying our fiscal and tax policies, fiscal and tax policies are key to the realisation of any nation’s economic development.

“I believe you will come up with a roadmap to salvage our nation, we are in a big mess, but I have confidence in your team. This is a great nation chained by poor governance, chained by many challenges”

He described President Bola Tinubu as man of courage and conviction and a progressive man in the Nigerian political space.

Shettima, who stressed the importance of fiscal policy and tax reforms, noted that it was a potent tool for resource mobilisation.

According to him, the committee should make recommendations that are quick deliverables in view of the nation’s current economic realities.

While assuring them of the National Economic Council’s cooperation, he said “our focus should largely dwell on domestic resource mobilisation.

” Especially with trends in the world today, even the biggest economies in the world are faced with this reality.”

The Vice President said further that fiscal policy and tax reforms were critical for meeting national aspirations.

” This is also taking global dimensions with global realignment of forces with the emergence of BRICS and current geo-politics, ” he said.

Shettima, who praised the composition of the committee, said that the composition of the committee bears testimony to the seriousness that the Tinubu attaches to its mandate.

” Honestly, I am proud of you. I am personally conversant with some of the members of this committee who are men and women of impeccable character, high integrity, committed and patriotic.”

Earlier, Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Zaccheus Adedeji, said that the committee would be interested in working with the NEC, chaired by the Vice President.

” This will ensure effective collaboration with the sub-national governments who are critical stakeholders’ group in the task before the committee.”

In his remarks, Oyedele, said that the committee was excited for the opportunity to help the country to redefine and redesign a new fiscal policy framework.

” We are focused on our mandate as directed by Mr President which covers fiscal governance, revenue transformation and fiscal competitiveness and economic growth facilitation.”

He assured that the committee would engage with Nigerians both at home and abroad as well as with all segments of the society.

He expressed the readiness of the committee to engage with sub-national governments through NEC in achieving its mandate.

” I’m the chairman of the presidential fiscal policy and tax reform committee. And the reason why we are here is to see His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima.

” The mandate given to us by Mr President is to help our country regarding matters of fiscal governance, which is really about how do we manage our revenue.

” As well as revenue transformation beyond tax. So, this is both tax and non tax, as well as how do we facilitate economic growth so that people can have prosperity? That is inclusive.

” So, we came here today to pay courtesy visit and to give His Excellency an updates about what we’re doing and more importantly, and to ask for his support and guidance, particularly engaging with the sub national government.

” This is important because our assignments will be incomplete and unsuccessful without the support from the governors, as well as even the Local Government Areas.”

He noted that the committee was different from the previous ones for two major reasons.

” The President has the political will to follow through our recommendations which may not be the usual recommendations that people are comfortable with.

” But we’re putting the interest of our country first, and all the way through. The second thing is Mr President was very clear, that he was not interested in committees writing reports.

” He has said to us as you recommend, how you get the approval, go ahead and help me to implement. So, that’s why we have milestone three of them.

” The first one is the first 30 days, which is where we’re focusing on the quick interventions around fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate stability, and then we have the second milestone, which is the first six months.

” First six months of critical reforms; We plan to rewrite the law. So, that will remove the burden on the poorest people.

” And then lastly is one year which is implementation, and the good thing is that the 30 days, six months and one year, will run concurrently, so, we’re already counting down to our first 30 days.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said Cuba is ready to continue cooperating with Namibia, despite the current complexities caused by the United States of America (USA) sanctions.

Speaking during his official State visit to President Hage Geingob here on Sunday, Diaz-Canel said the current Cuban generation is ready to continue the Cuban revolution, which he said calls for maintaining and further enhancing solidarity with the Namibia government and its citizens.

He explained that despite challenges, the Cuban people are still creating resistance to remove themselves from the situation, noting that the two countries have a strong relationship founded during Namibia’s liberation struggle and it is therefore imperative that the bonds be transferred to the new generations.

The USA imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1960, following the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalisation of properties belonging to US citizens and corporations.

Two years later the measure, which prohibits trade between the two countries among other restrictions, was strengthened causing drastic economic hardships for Cuba.

“Given the importance of our relationship with your country, I want to propose that we elevate the standing of these cooperation for the mutual benefit of our people,” Diaz-Canel said.

At the same event, President Geingob described the blockade by the US as a crime on human rights.

“The problem is that if you are blocking essential services including medical suppliers that could benefit people and innocent children… What is the crime you [Cuba] have committed? What is the crime really that for so many years people cannot as human beings talk? One makes peace with the enemies… Why is there no movement on the crimes of the United States,” Geingob asked.

He further said Namibia condemns the unfair listing of Cuba as a State Sponsor of International Terrorism by the American government, saying Cuba will always be considered by Namibia as a country which promotes international peace and solidarity.

The two countries also signed two Memorandums of Understanding, one involving the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and Centre of the Promotion of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, and the other an agreement on the transfer of convicted persons, which will allow the social rehabilitation of convicted persons by allowing them to serve their sentences in their country of nationality or citizenship.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Fatherlessness is predominantly the result of absence rather than death in numerous countries, including Namibia.

In such cases, men often fail to take responsibility for their children, either immediately after conception or after a collapse in marital relations, British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, said during the high-level panel discussion on the theme ‘Fatherlessness in Namibia’ and how it affects both individuals and society.

The panel discussion, organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation with the assistance of the British High Commission, took place in Windhoek last week.

Moore stated that fatherlessness is not just a problem for Namibia, but for the United Kingdom as well, where it is more likely that parental responsibility has been rejected, rather than fathers being absent because they choose to live and work away from home.

“Fatherlessness cannot be blamed on governments: it’s entirely our own fault. It’s about our own individual beliefs and experiences, often brought about by a change in society and tradition,” he said.

Meanwhile, James Itana, the Executive Director of the Regain Trust, said the emotional gap between fathers and their children could be attributed to the gap that arises at childbirth. Itana noted that men, particularly in traditional settings, are advised to remain on the sidelines while the mother spends the majority of the time with the newborns.

Itana said many Namibian men are unable to emotionally connect with their children because they have been denied the ability to do so since birth.

“It is essential to engage with the boy-child to try and shift the narrative that has been established that guys can’t be emotional with their children when they’re born, or that it’s the role of women to care for the child when they’re born,” he said.

He advocated open discussions about paternity leave and said men should not be driven out of maternal spaces because becoming a father is about more than just money.

“Men have been raised to assume fairly traditional views of what it means to be a father, so we must consider if parenthood is nature or nurture. This is a very important conversation that Namibians should have,” he said.

Sister Namibia Programme Coordinator Ndapwa Alweendo stated that while Namibia is not alone when it comes to the issue of fatherlessness and its challenges, access to data may be the most pressing worry.

“Often times, the data that does exist is quite difficult to acquire, making it extremely tough to deconstruct this very significant issue,” she said.

She shared Itana’s comments, noting that debates regarding fatherlessness should be placed in the appropriate context by having conversations about what it means to be a parent, as it entails much more than just having children.

The discussion was aimed at raising awareness of the severity of fatherlessness in Namibia and its effects on people and society, sharing information about institutions responsible for enforcing the law and protecting the rights of women and children, as well as to encourage discussion about aspects of Namibian culture that affect the family structure.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A 30-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at Ombuma village in the Onayena area in the early hours of Monday.

According to a crime report issued by the Namibian Police Force’s spokesperson for the Oshikoto Region, Inspector Ellen Nehale, the incident occurred around 02h00.

Nehale said Jonas Shikongo’s sister found his body hanging from a tree with a rope around his neck near their homestead.

“The body was transported to the Onandjokwe hospital mortuary for a post-mortem. No suicide note was found and no foul play is suspected,” he said.

Shikongo’s next of kin have been informed.

The police also reported that two people died in an accident between Ondangwa and Omuthiya in Friday.

A white GWM double cab with 10 occupants was reportedly headed to Omutsegonime village when its right rear tyre burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn.

“One person died on the scene while the other person died on the way to Onandjokwe hospital. One passenger who was seriously injured was transported to the Oshakati hospital and the rest were admitted to the Omuthiya hospital in a stable condition,” Nehale reported.

The next of kin of the deceased are informed.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency