A Walvis Bay company operating from the Export Processing Zone (EPZ),

Hoesch Bathroom Ware Namibia had its equipment, goods and materials detained at the premises by the EPZ management company. This was done, according to EPZ company manager Jan Kruger, to safeguard all Namibian interests as the mother company in Germany has reportedly filed for liquidation due to the bad economic situation in Germany. According to Kruger, Hoesch in Namibia has still not received any formal communication from Germany about the fate of the Walvis Bay outlet.

The Namibian government is preparing to draft laws for electronic transactions and electronic commercial activities (e-commerce). For this purpose, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) conducts a workshop next Monday in Windhoek until Wednesday. The aim is to draft legislation to harmonise it with existing laws about information and communications technologies (ICT) and with a model law developed by the e-Readiness Task Force of SADC) Southern African Development Community). Electronic transactions and data protection are the key elements of this seminar. Interested parties from the private sector can attend this free workshop starting on 23 May at 8h30 at the NamPower Convention Centre. More details are available at 061-287-2027 or fjacobs@opm.gov.na. The programme and draft documents can be perused at www.opm.gov.na/elaws.