Day: July 9, 2024

A high-level government delegation from Windhoek on Monday visited the Biomass Industrial Park under construction outside Otjiwarongo.

The delegation was led by Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu and the Deputy Executive Director in the same ministry, Dr Michael Muhavindu.

They were accompanied by several trade policy analysts.

Specialist Advisor in the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, Vicki ya Toivo, also formed part of the site visit to the Otjiwarongo Biomass Industrial Pak.

According to Ya Toivo, the purpose for the visit was to see how best strategies would be formulated with the trade ministry, Otjiwarongo Municipality and some cooperatives that will work at this biomass production and renewable energy plant.

‘Government, through our ministry, envisions the creation of about 3 000 jobs in a period of two years once the project starts to produce,’ said Ya Toivo.

Otjozondjupa Governor, James Uerikua, at a briefing shortly before the site visit, sa
id he was excited to see that funds, human resources and the electricity supply needed to start production at the biomass plant, especially the production of animal feed and value added charcoal from the acacia bush, have all been secured.

During the physical site visit by the delegation it was established that an animal feed processing plant was completed and is ready for manufacturing.

A warehouse for storing dried wood was also found to be completed, with only minor connections being finalised.

Uerikua explained that the real idea is to reduce bush encroachment on the government farms by means of cutting down acacia bushes and manufacturing such wood into value added charcoal and animal feed so that the cleared land would produce enough grass for the animals on the farmlands.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Competition Commission (NCC) has concluded its investigation into the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) regarding allegations of anti-competitive conduct.

The commission examined claims that NBC limited market access to other free-to-air broadcasters on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network.

This alleged conduct is said to restrict market outlets, investment, technical development, and technological progress, which is prohibited under Section 26 (1) read with Section 26 (2) (b) of the Competition Act No. 2 of 2003.

NCC Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Vitalis Ndalikokule told Nampa on Tuesday that the probe centred on the market for free-to-air programming via the Namibian DTT network.

He stated that the commission determined that the relevant provisions of Part II of the Competition Act were violated, specifically, Section 26 (1) read with Section 26 (2) (b) and that NBC engaged in unilateral conduct to remove other free-to-air broadcasters from the DTT netwo
rk, thereby limiting market access.

As part of its cost-cutting efforts, NBC stopped broadcasting One Africa Television (OATV) on the NBC DTT network in September 2019. NBC claimed the refusal to pay a ‘flat annual carriage fee’ as the reason for the suspension. OATV alleged that NBC failed to present reasons why removing OATV from the multiplex would save NBC money.

‘Based on its findings, the commission proposed a decision that NBC engaged in prohibited conduct by limiting market outlets, investment, technical development, and technological progress as per Section 26 (1) read with Section 26 (2) (b) of the Competition Act. The commission granted NBC a period of 30 days to make written submissions or to indicate whether it requires an opportunity to make oral representations, in line with Sections 36 and 37 of the Competition Act,’ Ndalikokule said.

He stressed that, while the NCC has proposed this decision, no final decision has been reached. The process specified in Section 36 of the Competition Act wil
l be followed, giving NBC the opportunity to state its case.

This process ensures that NBC has an opportunity to reply to the findings and proposed conclusion before the commission takes any final action, he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Keetmanshoop Municipality on Tuesday kicked off with the construction of 30 houses under the Build Together project that is expected to cost the municipality N.dollars 2 million.

The N.dollars 2 million is funds the municipality received from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony of the construction of the 30 houses, Keetmanshoop Mayor, McDonald Hanse said the houses being constructed for low-income earners are expected to be completed before the end of this year.

The mayor revealed that during the 2024/2025 financial, Council plans to construct 50 houses under the Build Together programme at a cost of N.dollars 2.5 million.

According to the mayor Keetmanshoop has a housing backlog of 4 000.

‘For this project we gave the tender to our local small contractors, just to empower them and ensure they also get something and not just have the big companies doing all the work. We just await the funds from the line ministry f
or this financial year, so that we start with construction of the 50 houses,’ he said.

About 10 constructors have been identified to build the 30 houses.

In an interview with Nampa one of the constructors, Michael Humphries of HMH Trading Enterprise said: ‘We are grateful that the municipality has trusted us with this project and we are able to show what we as small business can do for our community. With this project we are able to recruit our local people too, I have recruited six people.’

The houses are being constructed in the Tseiblaagte 7 residential area and all the erven are serviced with water and electricity. The houses will have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room and will cost the resident N.dollars 80 000.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Director General, Stanley Similo has refuted claims that NBC has prevented other broadcasters from accessing its platforms.

This comes after the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has been investigating allegations of anti-competitive conduct by NBC.

Responding to the matter, Similo on Tuesday criticised the NaCC for its publication of the proposed findings, which he described as untimely and premature.

He emphasised that the matter is still under review, pending submissions from the affected parties.

‘The NaCC’s highly publicised stance on NBC’s infrastructure sharing policy, particularly as it pertains to other market participants, is ongoing. Therefore, we consider the premature dissemination of the proposed findings by the regulator to be not only ill-advised, but also potentially mischievous and malicious,’ he said.

He further noted that NBC has sought clarifications on several aspects of the NaCC’s investigation, highlighting that the matter is
not yet resolved.

‘One can thus only imagine what the agenda of the Namibian Competition Commission is, particularly at this juncture,’ Similo remarked.

He explained that NBC has been seeking equitable contributions towards the maintenance of the shared infrastructure, rather than allowing other broadcasters to benefit without contributing.

‘It is important to clarify that NBC has never prevented other broadcasters from accessing its platforms. Rather, we have sought for an equitable annual contribution towards the maintenance of the shared infrastructure, as opposed to allowing free riding,’ he stated.

NaCC’s investigation into NBC has centred on allegations that NBC engaged in anti-competitive conduct by limiting market access to other free-to-air broadcasters on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network.

The investigation concluded that NBC’s actions may have restricted market outlets, investment, technical development, and technological progress, as outlined in Section 26 (1) read with Section
26 (2) (b) of the Competition Act No. 2 of 2003.

The final decision from NaCC is pending, with NBC given a 30-day period to make written submissions or to request an opportunity for oral representations.

The outcome of this process will determine whether the proposed findings by the NaCC will be upheld or revised.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has revealed that the annual inflation rate for June 2024 was 4.6 per cent, down from 5.3 per cent in June 2023.

The monthly inflation rate declined to 0.2 per cent in June 2024 from 0.3 per cent in the previous month.

Statistician-General and NSA Chief Executive Officer, Alex Shimuafeni told Nampa on Tuesday that core inflation for June 2024 was reported at 3.8 per cent, with headline inflation at 4.6 per cent.

He said that core inflation removes volatile items like food and energy prices.

The food and non-alcoholic beverages category, accounting for 16.5 per cent of the Namibia Consumer Price Index (NCPI) basket, registered an annual inflation rate of 4.3 per cent in June 2024, compared to 11.7 per cent in June 2023, he said.

Monthly price levels for this category decreased by 0.4 per cent in June 2024, following a 0.5 per cent increase the previous month, while inflation in the food sub-category, which accounts for 14.8 per cent of the consumer basket, dec
reased significantly.

Within the food sub-component, bread and cereals holds the highest weight at 4.8 per cent, followed by meat at 3.5 per cent, and sugar, chocolate and confectionery at 1.4 per cent.

Vegetables, milk, cheese and eggs each weigh 1.2 per cent, while bread and cereal prices grew by 0.3 per cent in June 2024.

Shimuafeni added that key subcategories driving this downward trend included maize meal/grain (from 23.4 per cent to -3.3 per cent); macaroni, spaghetti and noodles (from 18.8 per cent to -6.1 per cent); and bread and cake flour (from 19.3 per cent to -4.1 per cent).

Vegetable prices, including potatoes and other tubers, rose by 5.5 per cent in June 2024, compared to 18.5 per cent in June 2023.

The fish subcomponent had an annual inflation rate of 4.6 per cent in June 2024, down from 11.7 per cent in June 2023, while meat prices had an average increase of 3.5 per cent in June 2024, compared to 8.3 per cent the previous year.

Pork pricing levels changed from 21.8 per cent to 0 per ce
nt.

Shimuafeni stated that the information highlights significant variations in inflation rates across different categories, reflecting changes in market conditions and consumer behaviour.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency