Namibia Embassy Berlin -

Regierungsmitteilungen

President Dr Hage Geingob speaks at the Paris Climate Summit, COP21

Please click on the photo to watch and listen to the youtube video from Namibian Broadcasting (NBC)

Please, click here for all the speeches as pdf.

NAMPA: Geingob to attend COP 21 on Monday

President Hage Geingob will attend the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations (UN) climate change conference here on Monday. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference is set to take place from 30 November to 11 December 2015. Geingob will be amongst 150 Heads of State and Governments to give their public support for reaching a new and universal climate change agreements. The event will begin with an unprecedented 'Leaders Event' immediately after the official opening of the COP. "The national plans and arrival of leaders will reflect growing government confidence in the global response by thousands of companies and investors, who have announced their commitment to the essential economic and social transformation to low-carbon, sustainable growth and development," the UNFCC said on its website Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is also Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said last week that Namibia is looking forward to the finalisation of a legally-binding Paris climate change agreement based on common but different responsibilities. She made the remarks during a briefing session on various matters with the Diplomatic Corps in Namibia. "Namibia's message to the international community this year is that we must work together for a global mitigation action if we are to ensure both sustainable development at national level and prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change. We are going to Paris to pool efforts in reaching an agreement to reduce global warming below two degrees Celsius," she stated.

The central job of governments in Paris is to discuss and agree on an international arrangement and in their own national interests, to make a more rapid transition to the low-carbon future that will keep global warming to below two degrees Celsius. More than 180 countries covering almost 95 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions have already delivered their national climate action plans to the UNFCCC.

Meanwhile, Geingob heads to Paris from Malta where he attended a three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). From Paris, the Namibian leader will fly to London, United Kingdom to attend the Global Africa Investment Summit on 01 and 02 December. He is also scheduled to take part in the Africa/China Summit on 03 and 04 December in Pretoria, South Africa.

Please click on the picture below to watch and listen to the NBC video:

BRIEFING SESSION FOR THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, ON 20 NOVEMBER 2015 - TALKING POINTS FOR THE HONOURABLE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Honourable Deputy Ministers, Your Excellency, (...)

1. Welcoming:

We are almost at the end of 2015 calendar year hence a need for us to reflect on the year's activities. I welcome to you all and thank you for your outstanding and mutually supportive work during the year 2015. As some of you have presented your Letters of Credence to His Excellency President Hage G. Geingob recently, I once again congratulate you and welcome you to the diplomatic family in Namibia. I wish you all the best in your new assignment, and look forward to working with you in elevating even further our bilateral relations and cooperation.

At our last meeting which I can call a mid-term July review, I had an opportunity to introduce the political leadership of the Ministry which His Excellency President Geingob has put together. On the occasion I shared with you the central focus of Dr. Geingob's presidency, that is the fight against poverty. Therefore, I ask you as representatives of your respective countries to partner with us in our struggle against poverty.

I am happy to say that year 2015 has seen strengthening of cooperation between Namibia, your countries and organisations. Such cooperation is represented by high- level exchange visits with some of your countries and organization. The high number of bilateral activities, including joint commissions of cooperation and Working Groups undertaken during 2015, indicates healthy and strong cooperation with your countries, with whom we enjoy diplomatic relations.

In this regard, I thank those concerned for the successful arrangements, with particular reference to Embassies and High Commissions accredited to Namibia.

Though we may have experienced challenges during the past year, I can say with confidence that we always had the possibility of frank and open discussions to reach solutions, and to me that is a sign of strong and healthy relations.

2. Home

As you may be aware now, all our national policies are geared towards poverty eradication. Against that background we have put in place mechanism for implementations, monitoring and evaluation of national programmes. In September 2015, all Cabinet Ministers signed Performance Agreements with His Excellency the President and all Deputy Ministers signed Performance Agreements with Ministers, while Permanent Secretaries signed theirs with the Secretary to Cabinet. That is a mechanism His Excellency has put in place to ensure that as a Government we have deliver services to the People of Namibia. We are also focusing on economic growth for sustainable development, hence our emphasis on trade and investment.

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STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR HAGE GOTTFRIED GEINGOB, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA, AT THE SPECIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF THE PRESIDENT HOSTED BY THE NAMIBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY [NCCI]

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WINDHOEK COUNTRY CLUB RESORT AND CASINO, 04 NOVEMBER 2015

I am happy to be here this evening amongst the leaders of the Namibian business fraternity. I would like to use this opportunity tonight to espouse my views on what and how your interest group could assist Government in the declared war against poverty.

I am also here to listen to your views, on what and how you intend to support Government in this war. I want to say upfront, that we all must hold hands in this war against poverty.

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GRN to introduce solidarity tax

October 27th, 2015 by New Era Staff Reporter

12063437 543138839175944 7426403820657973568 n Government plans to introduce a solidarity tax in the 2016/17 budget that would compel every income-generating citizen above a certain threshold to make a contribution towards a fund earmarked for poverty eradication.

President Hage Geingob – who revealed the plan yesterday – says another form of wealth redistribution under consideration would be to entice owners of companies to dilute shareholding to include workers, thereby redistributing more of company income downward, instead of upward, as is the case when shareholding is concentrated in the hands of a few.

Currently Namibians, who earn less than N$50 000 per year are exempted from paying income tax, while those in higher income brackets pay progressively more, depending on the level of income.