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Open discussion on water supply

The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung invites the general public to a Round Table Discussion on "Challenges of water supply and concept of cost recovery" on Monday, 23 August in Windhoek. The question of water as a basic necessity, an economic commodity and human right has become a hotly debated issue in Namibia, the foundation said in a statement. While some people believed that commercial principles like cost recovery and payment for services rendered should be the decisive factors, others point out that the delivery of essential services like water should be based on social and humanitarian considerations. Representatives of NamWater, the Windhoek municipality, trade unions and research institutions will meet to discuss this issue from various perspectives. The discussion will last from 09h00 to 13h00 at the Kalahari Sands Hotel. Inquiries can be directed to Mrs. Kauna Mapani at telephone 061-237438.

Financial Intelligence Bill coming

A new legislation against financial fraud will be tabled in Parliament soon. Cabinet approved last week that such a draft should be accepted in principle and drawn up by the legal drafters. The Financial Intelligence Bill will complement and work with the umbrella piece of legislation that contains the substantive laundering offences. In a press release on the latest Cabinet decisions, the ministry of information and broadcasting said the umbrella legislation would be the Prevention of organised Crime Bill, which is soon to be tabled by the minister of justice. The envisaged Financial Intelligence Bill will introduce mechanisms and measures aimed at preventing and combating money-laundering activities. It also provides for an (anti) Money-Laundering

Advisory Council.

Governors of central banks meet

The Governors of the central banks of the Common Monetary Area (Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland), met in Windhoek this week to exchange views on recent economic developments in their respective countries. The meeting was aimed at enhancing common understanding of the respective economies within the CMA. The exchange of economic information between Tom Alweendo, Governor of the Bank of Namibia; Tito Mboweni of the South African Reserve Bank; Motlatsi Matekane of the Central Bank of Lesotho and Martin Dlamini, Governor of the Central Bank of Swaziland, would help to enhance economic understanding within the four economies of the CMA, the Bank of Namibia said in a statement. The meeting noted that inflation in the CMA is currently well under control. Matters relating to the upgrading of economic statistics and closer cooperation in general between the central banks concerned were also discussed. Regional meetings with governors of central banks are a regular occurrence.

NUNW attacks Ramatex

After a long silence of over 2 years, the National union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) finally broke its silence on labour disputes at the Malaysian textile plant, Ramatex. Accusing the Ramatex management of applying a strategy of impera et divide (divide and rule), the NUNW said the Asian workers at the textile plant were "intimidated and scared of joining a trade union." If Asian workers complained about their conditions of employment, Ramatex usually responded by "getting rid" if them and trying to deport them, like last week, where only a court interdict thanks to the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), prevented the deportation of 66 Bangladeshi workers. The NUNW now "condemned" Ramatex and the labour movement found it unacceptable that Ramatex received "special treatment" (from the government). it was outrageous, the NUNW said, that Ramatex paid very low prices for water and electricity, while Namibians had to pay the full price and were cut off as soon as they did not pay. The Namibian government should "call Ramatex to order."

International

connection of Telecom restored

A technical failure at the Windhoek International Exchange of Telecom Namibia caused a serious interruption of all international voice calls from and to Namibia last weekend, causing frustration for telephone callers locally and internationally. All calls from fixed phones to cell phones and from cell phones to fixed phones were affected form Saturday morning. The technical fault initially also caused the VAT service on the prepaid platform to fail but this failure was rectified on Saturday afternoon. According to the PRO manager of Telecom, Ferdinand Tjombe, the failure of the Windhoek International Exchange was caused after a power surge occurred at the heart of the telecommunications network centre in Windhoek. Technicians worked all weekend to restore the important international voice communication link of the country to the rest of the world as quickly as possible and by late Sunday most lines worked again.