Category: Finance

||Kharas Governor, Aletha Frederick said women should understand that they have the responsibility to grab opportunities presented to them to ensure that gender equality continues in the country.

Frederick was speaking at the belated commemoration of International Women’s Day at Aussenkehr on Saturday – the day is commemorated on 08 March each year, this year it was celebrated under the theme ‘Invest in women, accelerate progress’.

‘We do not necessarily need to be pushed by someone else to grab opportunities that are presented to us, you should have the willingness to grab it, because people will not be there forever, let us push ourselves and grab them because you will never know if you can do a certain task until you try it,’ she said.

Frederick urged ministries, agencies and the private sector to ensure that continual capacity building takes place for women, citing that as Namibia is moving towards the fourth industrial revolution which involve technology, women should not be left behind but must be ca
pacitated equally with men.

‘For us to build an equal society, we must start investing more in women’s leadership, health, education and economic development. Women have the ability and capacity, it is not that we do not have these things, we do, we just want equal opportunities to showcase our talent, to help and assist men so that society is not only built by men but both men and women,’ she stressed.

Also speaking at the event Aussenkehr Primary School principal, Susanna Kadhikwa said it is important that women take up responsibility to ensure that they contribute to the achievements of developmental agendas such as Vision 2030.

‘Vision 20230 is around the corner, it is watching us, what did we as women do to implement this sustainable development goal, what do we do when it comes to poverty, zero hunger, providing clean water and sanitation, quality education – are we working towards that vision. If we want our voice to be heard and our cries to be answered, let us invest in one another, only then will
we accelerate progress,’ she said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: In a concerning revelation, the general population in the urban informal settlements is largely unaware of government small business support programmes and training initiatives for young people.

Despite the government’s efforts to roll out various support programmes aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, many people in Windhoek’s informal settlements remain unaware of these opportunities.

The lack of information regarding such initiatives has left aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in these areas at a severe disadvantage.

Although Windhoek informal settlements like Havana and Goreangab have long been hubs for entrepreneurship, certain business activities are oversaturated.

And the lack of information further causes many young people including those who did not do well in school to miss out on training opportunities provided by various government ministries.

To bridge this knowledge gap, on 28 February 2024, Moses ||Garoëb Constituency councillor Stefanus Ndengu with a delegation pai
d a visit to Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, at her office.

On Saturday, Ndengu and members of the constituency development committee held an information-sharing meeting with the business community at the constituency office in Havana.

Ndengu said they sought to provide feedback about the visit to the ministry and share with the community information about government support programmes.

‘We decided to go to the high authorities to get information and bring it to you, to help you improve your business and go into business. We have seen how much you are suffering when it comes to information. You might have registered a business, but you are sitting at home because you do not know which door to turn to or where to start,’ Ndengu said during the well-attended meeting.

The councillor spoke about various support programmes of the industrialisation ministry, such as the equipment aid scheme for small and medium enterprises. Ndengu said his office is going to share information about t
he ministry’s gemstone cutting and polishing training for this year.

Minister Iipumbu recently revealed that about 300 young people between the ages of 18 and 35 have been trained so far under this programme at its centre in Karibib. And that at least 90 per cent of this group have found employment in the diamond polishing and cutting sector.

‘The 2023 cohort has just graduated, and out of 24 graduates, we can report that 22 are about to start their employment within the diamond cutting and polishing sector. We are about to advertise for the 2024 cohort to apply,’ according to the minister.

Also speaking at the meeting, was the youthful councillor for Windhoek West Consituency, Emma Muteka. She called on the youth of Moses ||Garoëb to believe in themselves and take business risks.

‘Information is very important, but the main problem is that the youth want information to come to them. We don’t stand up and go look for information. You can even come to the office and ask the councillor for specific informat
ion. We need to keep motivating young people to start walking toward information,’ Muteka said.

However, efforts to bridge the information gap must include translating information into local languages. ‘That information needs to be translated in the sense that everybody is included and that it is inclusive for everybody to understand,’ said Muteka.

According to entrepreneur Talapombanda Mulunga, the oversaturation of some business activities in informal settlements is due to a lack of information and innovative business practices.

‘Tourism is one of the businesses we can initiate. I used to take foreign tourists to Babylon and Havana and bring them to the Soweto Market and Single Quarters. So this is another business our young people can think of as one way of income generation,’ she said, adding that women can also venture into childcare services.

Councillor Ndengu meanwhile said Minister Iipumbu has agreed to meet with the Moses ||Garoëb Constituency business community next month to provide more informa
tion about the ministry’s support programmes.

He added that he and members of the constituency development committee would be visiting other ministries and government agencies to learn more about government assistance programmes to inform people in his constituency.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration has revoked the licenses of 3,300 illegal brokers engaged in manipulating the marketing system of vegetables, fruits, livestock, and crops.

Trade and Regional Integration Minister, Gebremeskel Chala revealed today that the government took the measure because they had been playing destructive role in the market chains.

Their licenses will not be renewed since they are illegal, he added.

According to him, the ministry is working in collaboration with regional states to implement the measure taken by the ministry to remove the illegal brokers who controlled and manipulated the marketing system.

At the moment, for instance, such brokers are not operating in the livestock market as it is easy to monitor them physically.

Gebremeskel further pointed out that the ministry will continue collaborating with other pertinent stakeholders to track, monitor and control the brokers.

Citing that the commercial law of the country was improved after the national reform, the m
inister said such improvements will enable the country to integrate with the world trade system.

The commercial law, which has been amended to have international business content and competitiveness, has made it possible for consumers and the business community to get technology-supported services, it was learned.

The minister finally revealed that businesses that were open only to Ethiopians for years are now also opened for foreign investors.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa said the national reform has made the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam successful by bringing it out of the complex construction process.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the minister said the dam had almost stalled before the national reform.

In particular, he elaborated that the funds raised by Ethiopians for the dam had been managed by incompetent contractor and the funds embezzled, he revealed.

The minister pointed out that the improper project management and deliberate malpractice had negative impact on the overall construction process and that was a sad moment.

Following the reform, special attention was given to determine the next process of the dam and that is considered the biggest success factor in getting the dam out of the problem.

Habtamu explained that the first visit to the GERD by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was the beginning of the utmost journey of success with his wise leadership and guidance to determine the fate of the project.

Accordingly, t
he first step taken was changing the contract management and contractors as well as suppliers, which were the major impediments of the project.

The work of assigning qualified experts in the field had also been done, the minister said.

Thus the national mega project was saved from the danger that it was in through those efforts Habtamu said, adding that since the reform the works done on the GERD have recorded victory to restart the dam.

According to him, the project existed only in name and there was no real work before the reform.

After the national reform, however, concrete results have been registered year after year. For instance, two turbines have begun generating electricity, he added.

Moreover, Habtamu elaborated that the GERD has not only at present increased its height but also record successive triumphs by filling water in different rounds.

Not only that, the dam has now reached an irreversible stage and is built at a level of standard that could give lesson to Africa and beyond.

The ministe
r underscored that GERD is a major national project that has taught Ethiopians they can do miracles when they stand together.

The construction of the dam has reached 95 percent, it was learned.

He stated between in June and July of this Ethiopian year, the dam will reach its final level of water capacity.

The GERD project was one of the five institutions/projects awarded the Ethiopian Institutional Success Award yesterday.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Maltese companies that attended the 1st Ethiopia-Malta Business Forum held yesterday in Addis Ababa are assessing areas of collaboration with Ethiopian counterparts.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, TradeMalta Promotion Head Richard Scerri said the company assists Malta-based businesses to unlock new opportunities.

TradeMalta is a local enterprise that helps Maltese companies to become exporters all over the world.

‘That is why we are here to help the collaboration between Ethiopia and Malta,’ Scerri said, adding that there is a very good opportunity for Ethiopian business people to meet up and collaborate with Maltese counterparts.

‘We are here to do business with Ethiopian counterparts. We are here to help the collaboration of the business community in Ethiopia understand that there is business in Malta as well, ‘ the head stated.

The companies, which attended the 1st Ethiopia-Malta Business Forum held yesterday, are from 16 different sectors.

Business 1st CEO Marika Tonna said on her part that Mal
ta has very good diplomatic relations with Ethiopia and the next step is fostering business between the countries.

‘From what I can see we can collaborate especially in information technology and many other areas because I think you have what we don’t have. We don’t have a large labor force because we are very small country. And we don’t have many resources. Over here electricity supply is ample. So, I think we can share experiences and work together to see where we can collaborate.’

Institute of Tourism Studies of Malta Chief Operating Officer, Professor Glen Farrugia said tourism is one of the most important pillars of the economy in Ethiopia.

The country is a cradle of humanity and the hospitable character of Ethiopians is something that attracts everyone. Therefore, Ethiopia should capitalize on this important asset as much as possible.

According to him, ‘Malta has a lot of experience when it comes to tourism. We feel that we should share our knowledge with Ethiopian friends in order to ensure the qua
lity of services that Ethiopia offers to its tourists or clients.’

When it comes to tourism and the quality of service being provided in Ethiopia, we have seen a lot of improvements, Professor Farrugia noted.

Being the seat of the African Union, Ethiopia also presents attractive opportunities for Malta-based businesses exploring new avenues for export and international expansion, the chief operating officer observed.

Moreover, Ethiopia serves as a hub in Eastern Africa, acting as a vital gateway to tap into the broader East African market which provides huge potential for fostering mutually beneficial economic growth and collaboration between the two nations

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

House of People’s Representatives (HPR) Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Standing Committee Chairperson Dima Negewo and Pakistan Ambassador Atif Sharif held talks today about further bolstering the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The standing committee chairperson said on the occasion the two sides discussed about ways of further enhancing trade exchange and investment as well as tourism between the countries.

They also stressed the need to further bolster parliamentary cooperation and promised to conduct exchange of visits of the speakers of the parliaments and their counterparts, Dima added.

Pakistan Ambassador to Ethiopia, Atif Sharif pointed out that the parliamentary relationships between the countries could further strengthen bilateral relations.

According to him, Pakistan attaches very high importance to its relations with Ethiopia, which is one of the largest countries in Africa and the lynchpin in the Horn of Africa.

‘We have close cooperation on the multilateral affairs. We al
so have strong trade relations and there’s a lot of potential to increase bilateral trade,’ the ambassador stated.

Pakistan is now looking to have more parliamentary exchanges as parliamentary cooperation is the key to improve bilateral relations, Sharif said.

Moreover, he indicated that there is room for cooperation in tourism as Ethiopian Airlines is now going directly to Karachi four times a week.

And the Ethiopian government opened embassy in Islamabad last year, which is also playing an active role in connecting both countries together, the ambassador stated. ‘So, we are looking for an exciting period of cooperation ahead of us.’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency