Sick economy reacts well to consolidation medicine

Windhoek-Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein is reasonably optimistic that the country’s economic activity will pick up pace this year, relative to the slowdown in 2016. However, he expects the recovery to be gradual, given the localised recessionary pressures since the third quarter of 2016. “The year 2017 started off on a cautionary note of weak domestic […]

NSA releases Consumer Price Index for June 2017

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has released the Consumer Price Index for June 2017 today. Inflation continued its downward trend that started in February 2017. Herewith a few highlights: Inflation slowed down to 6.1 percent compared to June 2016; Slowest price increases since February 2016; 2.1 percentage points below the inflation rate in January 2017 […]

More signs of business unusual – Klaus Schade

Over the past year or so, there are signs that the call for business unusual is heeded. The Ministry of Finance has applied expenditure brakes in order to rein in rising budget deficits and public debts. In particular, wasteful expenditure such as subsistence and travel allowances, overtime payments, etc. have been cut substantially, while investment […]

Economic Association holds annual conference

THE Economic Association of Namibia’s third annual conference, will start tomorrow at the Safari Court Hotel in Windhoek from 08h00. The association’s executive director, Klaus Schade, said the theme of the meeting “Regional Integration – Opportunities for Namibia”, was chosen because the topic has always been high on the political agenda. The Economic Association of […]

Labour market expected to stabilise

JOB losses are expected to slow down by the end of this year and employment is expected to improve into next year, said Klaus Schade, director of the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN), at a Namibia Statistics Agency event yesterday. He said employment in the agricultural sector is expected to grow after this year’s good […]

Labour Force Survey 2016 Report released

The NSA released the Labour Force Survey 2016 report today, 5 July 2017. After three consecutive annual surveys between 2012 and 2014, no survey was conducted in 2015. Hence, this report provides relevant information on the situation on the labour market at a point in time, when the Namibian economy was on a downward trend. […]

First Investor Confidence Indicator for Africa (ICIFA) released

The U.S. – Africa Business Centre has released the first Investor Confidence Indicator for Africa end of June. It is composed of 13 widely used indicators, such as the Global Competitiveness ranking, Ease of Doing Business, Corruption Index, Ibrahim Index of African Governance and GDP Per Capita. Southern African countries are well represented amongst the […]

We might have hit the trough, but now the lookout for green shoots – Suta Kavari

Last year September I penned an opinion piece cautioning that the Namibian economy was on the brink of slipping into a recession. The article followed similar such warnings by many analysts at the time. Last week the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) confirmed those fears, we are in recession. According to the NSA reading, the economy […]

Would a National Business Council do the trick? Klaus Schade

The Fifth National Development Plan was launched two weeks ago on the 31st of May 2017. Contrary to general perceptions that often exist, this is not a Government Development Plan, but a National Development Plan designed through extensive consultations across the country and the various sectors of society. Not only because of the estimated investment […]