Day: June 19, 2023

Information, Communication and Technology Minister, Dr Peya Mushelenga, has urged government communication officers to strive to make government communication channels more accessible to all, regardless of their location or socio-economic status.

According to Mushelenga, the success of government’s communication can only be judged to the extent that citizens notice and understand such information.

The minister was speaking at the opening session of the five-day progress review workshop for Government Communication Officers on implementing the Government Communication Strategy (GCS) with all OMAs, Regional Councils and Local Authorities in Swakopmund on Monday.

“The benefits of government communication can have several dimensions, which include information, empowerment, education, development, discussion and decisions, hence government institutions should provide citizens with information to enhance their perceptions, evaluations and choices to improve the quality of citizen decision-making,” he noted.

He added that effective communication is at the heart of a functioning democracy and is the key medium through which government officials can engage the public, educate and inform them about government policies and programmes and obtain their feedback and suggestions on how best they expect their Government to serve them in all areas.

“We must take the time to reflect on the progress we have made since our meeting last quarter and map out the way forward in line with our Government Communication Strategy. Our citizens have a right to know what is happening in their government. It is our responsibility to provide them with accurate information promptly and transparently,” Shifeta said.

The purpose of the five-day engagement is to ensure that Government Communication Officers stay up-to-date with the Government’s Communication Strategy Implementation Plan to provide access to information to the citizenry.

The meeting is also aimed at taking stock of expectations and what should be done so government communication officers do not lose sight of what is expected from them.

According to the minister, this mandate becomes increasingly critical now that the Access to Information Act 8 of 2022 is about to be implemented, with the soon-to-be-established Office of the Information Commissioner.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Sixty-one participants from different parts of northern Namibia took part in the first preliminary round of the 2023 Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition at Oshakati on Saturday.

The northern preliminary round winners who will compete in the final in August are Johannes Haulondjamba, Loise Iimvula, and Cleopatra Shipanga.

Nedbank Namibia’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Gernot de Klerk in a statement on Monday said the Nedbank Kapana Cook-Off competition has drawn competitors from all walks of life since its inception nine years ago.

This year Jacobina Samuel, a visually impaired entrepreneur, encouraged observers by entering the tournament despite her impairment, he said.

“After an amazing day of festivities in the first preliminary round of this competition, it is exciting to see new and returning faces taking part. It’s moments like these which assert the significance the competition has in the community, especially after seeing a turnout of over 60 participants,” he said.

Nedbank Namibia is proud of being one of the leading institutions aiding in SME development through initiatives like these, and will continue its support for years to come, he said.

Samuel was quoted as saying she wanted to use the opportunity to encourage people to go after their dreams no matter their circumstances.

“I had a restaurant in Ondangwa, but after the Covid-19 pandemic, it closed down and since then I’ve been trying to get back on my feet. My main reason for taking part in the competition is to give awareness to all the people out there and let them know that in as much as you may have an impairment, if you like doing something, do not let your circumstances limit you from pursuing your passion,” she said.

The next preliminary round will take place in Walvis Bay, on 08 July; followed by the central preliminary round in Windhoek on 05 August.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has encouraged the public to report suspicious price exploitations by some retailers, amidst continuous food and goods price increases.

In a recent interview with Nampa, NaCC Corporate Communications Practitioner Dina ||Gowases said retailers in Namibia are not subjected to price caps as they operate in a space where the market dictates the ultimate price, noting however that in events where retailers collaborate to increase the prices of goods and services, the commission may intervene to investigate possible collusive conduct.

“There are isolated circumstances where some retailers may have a competitive advantage over others such as retailers that are in gated communities or alone in a specific town or location… In this instance, such a retailer may be inclined to raise prices to the detriment of consumers as it faces no competition in that area,” said ||Gowases.

She explained the commission can only ensure fair price competition and consumer choices through monitoring prices of goods and services in the market when it receives complaints or information from the general public.

||Gowases emphasised that NaCC does not prescribe prices that should be charged and only intervenes when it is suspected that prices are excessive.

“When suspected excessive prices are reported it may then carry out a price-cost test to determine reasonability. General price increases are usually regulated at the macroeconomic level, through instruments such as the monetary policy which is the custodian of the Bank of Namibia,” she noted.

She further indicated that about 20 large supermarkets in various locations across Namibia were reported to the commission in 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak for price exploitations up to 600 per cent. Preliminary cost analyses however found that most cases were a result of imported limited supply and high transportation costs due to global oil price increases.

||Gowases noted that the commission’s main challenge is the competition jurisprudence which is still in its infancy stage, adding that certain conduct is not always detectable as it is done in secrecy.

“NaCC wishes to encourage the public to report any potential anti-competitive behaviour in any sector of the Namibian economy. NaCC has a Corporate Leniency Programme where firms that have been engaging in collusive behaviour can self-report and be afforded leniency for their conduct,” she said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency