Nandi-Ndaitwah administration urged to give policy direction

Economist Salomo Hei says the new Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah administration will have to set policy clarity early on, to give direction to where it intends to take Namibia over the next five-years.

Speaking at a Economics Association of Namibia (EAN) pre-budget discussion, Hei said it was important to answer questions around the recent realignment of certain ministries which had been merged, most notably the mines and energy ministry which is now coupled together with trade and finance (which previously housed Namibia’s commercial public enterprises) as well as the ministry of agriculture and fisheries which were also merged.

“There are grey areas, in my view; what's going to happen to the investment promotion board, Namibia Investment and Promotion Development Board, where do they go? Are they under international relations? Are they in trade? Or will they go to the ministry of mines and energy now?” Hei when speaking on the recent ministerial pronouncements.

It was important to know how Namibia’s future oil deals would also be handled going forward in light of the move of Nandi-Ndaitwah announcing that all matters oil and gas related would be handled in the presidency.

“Oil and gas, we spoke about those legal implications. There are advisory teams that we don't know how big they will be, or what role they will play. There will also be implications on the bottom line, in terms of government expenditure,” he said.

“There's going to be a lot of realignment, in terms of how we do this. The ministry of fisheries and marine resources, what happens to those directorates? What happens to those staff that will be employed there? Where will they go?” he added.

Of key interest to Hei was also talks around the revival of a national airline following the 2021 liquidation of then flag-carrier, Air Namibia. Newly appointed transport minister Veiko Nekundi had announced that his ministry would be working around the clock to revive a national airline.

The government would have to answer how it intended to resuscitate the airline and also ensure its continued stay of operations, Hei said.

“I read in the newspaper that Air Namibia is coming back. The issue around Air Namibia should really be understood in the context. So, Air Namibia did not collapse as an event, but it was a process, in some way, the checks and balances, the collapse in controls, the agreements that are signed, and, and, and. What I'm going to do differently, if this is what we want to do?” Hei said.