Transport services, jobs and motor cycles – John Mendelsohn
We generally look to the developed world for ideas on how to improve circumstances in Namibia. And normally we adopt formal, rather than informal systems or services. We do this because development needs to be regulated, attractive to ‘investors’, and to contribute to GDP. However, the informal world has much to teach us, especially when […]
Namibia in the next Base-metals Boom – Lauren Davidson
Much hope is pinned on the mining sector to help Namibia recover from recessionary conditions, with poor growth performance recorded in 2016 while GDP forecasts for 2017 remain bleak. A strong rebound in the mining sector recorded this year definitely lends itself as an area of focus to help leverage the economy out of murky […]
Public-Private Partnerships – What can we expect? Klaus Schade
The first Public-Private Partnership was established in 2000 with the launch of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group. The WBCG consists of a diverse range of stakeholder including various ministries and private sector associations involved in the logistics sector. The concept received more attention with the signing of the SADC Protocol on Finance and Investment in […]
Would a Land Value Tax reduce the housing backlog? Klaus Schade
Much has been said and written about the lack of housing in Namibia that is often linked to the slow pace of serviced land delivery. In addition, high land prices and high costs of servicing land limit the affordability of housing. However, we do not use serviced land optimally. Some mixed-use developments in Windhoek where […]
Will the Mid-term Budget Review strengthen investor confidence? Klaus Schade
On 11 August Moody’s Investors Services downgraded Namibia from an investment grade to a speculative grade – commonly referred to as junk status. The decision was met in the country with criticism, since it was felt that some of the reasons provided were taken out of context (increase in the share of personnel expenditure over […]
Namibia’s Renewable Energy Feed-In Tarif (REFIT) Program, second year in – Jan-Barend Scheepers
The REFIT Program, initiated by the Electricity Control Board (ECB) has 14 Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs each for 5MW), which were signed between NamPower and various Independent Power Producers (IPPs). 24 months after being launched, where do these 14 projects stand? Designed to add 70MW to the Namibian embedded generation capacity, five plants have been […]
Kimberlite Schools – Jan-Barend Scheepers
A few things are blocking Namibia’s development and growth. Many relate to education. Thankfully the government spends massively on this critical need. Unfortunately, a few problems remain: Teacher training and accountability, resource allocation inefficiency, curricula relevancy, lack of external support and mentoring for students, low minimum passing level, no recognition for the dignity of vocational […]
The role of public sector in infrastructure development – Dylan van Wyk
Infrastructure is an essential ingredient to economic growth and prosperity in any country. Recently the case has been made that state-led infrastructure investment is needed to boost growth, especially in the current times of recession and high unemployment. This type of spending directly stimulates the economy by creating employment and drives growth through the multiplier […]
Perpetuating inequality on a daily basis – By Klaus Schade
Reducing income inequality has been one of Namibia’s national development objectives since independence. Although some progress has been made using the Gini-coefficient as a measure, much more needs to be done. High income inequality is not only detrimental to social cohesion and social development, but also to economic development. The better off in society spend […]
Incentivising and Financing Quality Education Acceleration through Edu-Points – By Jan-Barend Scheepers
The Namibian Employment paradox is that we have massive unemployment, but almost all skilled sectors complain of massive Namibian skill shortages. How do we bridge this gap? Education, skills transfer and mentoring. The government is already investing heavily to address this but maybe the private sector can help build an efficient bridge? Enter an Education […]