Trophy Hunting in Namiba – By Catherine Birch
Trophy hunting is always a polarising topic but opposition has been mounting over recent years. Cecil the Lion, the media (in particular the use of social media by animal rights activists), and celebrities have stirred public opinion, much of it negative. This has arguably contributed to the introduction of airline bans on transporting trophies, the […]
Railway sector needs a Vision – Klaus Schade
Namibia aims at becoming the logistics hub for southern Africa. This ambition was first articulated in the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4), followed up in the Harambee Prosperity Plan and the soon to be released NDP5. Consequently, government invested heavily in transport infrastructure: the expansion of the Walvis Bay harbour is nearing completion increasing the […]
The Namibian Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Reserves and the currency peg – By Rowland Brown
As a small open economy, Namibia’s balance of payments is arguably the single most important indicator of the health of the local economy. This is particularly true of Namibia, where a currency peg and twin deficits (current account and fiscal) present a form of “impossible trinity” if continued in perpetuity. In this vein, should a […]
Transport and logistics role in achieving sustainable development – By Kenneth Odero and Klaus Schade
Transport and logistics is essential for trade, industrialization, social-economic development and regional integration. Over the past 20 years the Government of Namibia has invested in transport infrastructure development (roads, rail, maritime and ports, and aviation) in order to both meet the national demand, as well as position Namibia as the gateway to the Southern Africa […]
The construction sector’s potential contribution to achieving some of the SDGs – By Frederick P.O Muketi and Klaus Schade
The construction sector has been one of the drivers of economic growth over the past few years. The sector grew by 35% annually on average between 2013 and 2015, resulting in 19% more jobs in the sector in 2014 compared to 2013. And construction works and buildings accounted for 58.5% of all Gross Fixed Capital […]
Economic Progress Since Independence – Klaus Schade
Namibia’s population is young. In 2011, 45 percent of the population was 18 years of age or younger and even 63 percent 27 years or younger. Hence, almost two out of three Namibians have hardly any memory of the country at the time of Independence. Therefore, our 27th Anniversary of Independence provides an opportunity to […]
Supply and Demand Forces versus Price Controls – Klaus Schade
Remember, about ten years ago? Uranium prices peaked at USD135.00 per pound after climbing continuously over more than three years from about USD20.00 per pound. However, the financial and economic crisis hit the commodity sector and uranium prices dropped to about USD40.00 per pound. They recovered again before the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi reactors […]
STREAMLINE GOVERNMENT – KLAUS SCHADE
Klaus Schade gave his view on why government should streamline its activities in The Namibian Sun Newspaper of Wednesday, 7th of March 2017.
Pubic debt and Public Investment – By Emmet Kiberd
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a comprehensive and ambitious set of targets designed to support sustainable economic and social transformation between now and 2030. In Namibia, there have been, over the years, many ambitious sets of development targets, including the recent Harambee Prosperity Plan. In such situations, one of the most important roles for […]
Roads vs Streets: the Economic and Social Cost – Martin Mendelsohn
A few years ago, I read that Namibia has the highest number of deaths per capita from vehicle accidents in the world. I decided that there probably aren’t statistics for the worse off places, but it’s something that’s been bothering me ever since… I’ve slowly come to realise why Namibia may have such a high […]