Namibia Embassy Berlin -

NEW YEAR MESSAGE 31 DECEMBER 2019

Dr. Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia

New Year Message 31 December 2019

Fellow Namibians,

Good evening, Tonight, as you gather with family and friends in anticipation, and with expectant hearts the dawn of the Year 2020, I wish each one of you a happy, healthy and fulfilling New Year.

As we enter the Year 2020, we pause to undertake personal and collective introspection. We pause to take stock of the successes we have scored, the opportunities we have missed, the lessons we have learned and the improvements we need to make.

You will agree with me that 2019 was a challenging year for our country. In the middle of a depressed economy in which commodity prices have remained low, Mother Nature was not kind to us. We experienced one of the worst droughts in our recorded history, with adverse consequences on crop and livestock production. We were forced to declare a state of Drought Emergency, increasing pressure on our national budget. We pray to the Almighty that in the coming days and months, we will receive much needed rain, to revitalize our lands and bring much needed nourishment to our people and animals.

Despite the difficulties of 2019, as a resilient nation we have much to be proud of and have reasons to look forward to a better 2020.

Fellow Namibians,

Just over a month ago, Namibians participated in the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections. As I stated during the rallies, this is not a war between enemies – but a contest between brothers and sisters. Without doubt, our 7th democratic elections were one of the most fiercely contested since our Independence in 1990. The spirited contestation by respective candidates and parties notwithstanding, the elections were conducted in a climate and spirit of peace. In democratic contestation, there are winners and losers.

I thank the people of Namibia, who are the true victors, for having ensured, through their maturity and orderly conduct, that Namibian democracy continues to mature. (...)

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Economic Revival for Inclusive Growth - Strengthening the Namibian House

Under the theme “Economic Revival for Inclusive Growth - Strengthening the Namibian House” the Summit - a private sector-led initiative hosted and coordinated by the 22 member Panel - took place in Windhoek from 31 July to 01 August 2019. The Summit was entirely funded by the private sector. 

On 31 July 2019, His Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, made the keynote address at the opening of the summit, with the purpose of exchanging views and ideas on Namibia’s response to the economic headwinds, as the country was forging a path towards recovery and growth, the President stated. (Please click on the photo to listen to the Presidents address).

Summit objectives were:

• Generating of One Billion Worth of Investments USD
• Removing Policy Impediments
• Creating Employment Opportunities
• Promoting Namibia For Investment & Tourism

In a High Level Plenary Economic Revival for Inclusive Growth: Strengthening the Namibian House, the role of the public and private sector in achieving inclusive growth and economic transformation was discussed and questions of how to achieve inclusive economic growth that addresses structural inequality. In Thematic Breakaway Sessions ideas were discussed such as how to

• Unleash Namibia's Natural Resources in the Agriculture, Fishing, Mining sectors for increased production and value addition
• Manufacturing in the Agriculture, Fishing, Mining sectors for increased production and value addition
• Employment Creation: State of unemployment in Namibia | Future of work | Labour Productivity, ICT & the Future of Work | Consensus on job creation | Job creation interventions
• Unlocking Namibia's tourism potential
• Promoting Namibia as a preferred Investment Location

• Leveraging Regional and Continental Integration for Economic Growth
• Leveraging Public Private Partnerships to revive the Economy
• Ensuring Water Sufficiency: Financing Water Projects in Namibia
• HOUSING - Mobilising Funding for Housing

and were recaptured in the plenary on Day 2, 01 August 2019, by thematic group rapporteurs. Further discussions focused on

• Public Sector Policy Reform commitments: Policy certainty/statement/clarification
• Private Sector Investment commitments expressed by the signing ceremony with project investor(s), and the announcement of commitments and pledges

The closing remarks and vote of thanks was delivered by His Excellency Dr. N. Mbumba, Vice President of the Republic of Namibia.

Namibia’s economic growth summit secured N$20 billion investments

In a closing off media briefing Mr Johannes Gawaxab, chairman of the newly appointed high-level panel for the Namibian economy said: “This exceeded our target of securing investments totalling one billion US dollars (about 901 million Euros)". “There were more pledges for additional projects worth N$30 billion (about 1.84 billion Euros) but we still have to scrutinise them,” Mr Gawaxab told journalists at the press conference afterwards.

Changes in Visa requirements

President Geingob in his keynote address also announced the introduction of electronic visas at entry points at a low nominal fee to be soon available. Provision will be made for easy access for highly skilled professional and sort after skills with work visas. Cabinet approved that residence visas will be offered on the back of capital investment with a yet to-be-defined threshold for foreign investors and businesspeople with already established businesses in Namibia who should be given multiple entry visas valid for five years.

Another welcome decision announced at the economic growth summit is the provision of easy access for foreign pensioners who would like to live in Namibia with residence visas. “They have their pensions in their home country but many such pensioners would like to live in our country and spend their pension money here, so let them come,” President Geingob said.

For further details please refer to the following report of 02 August, Namibia’s economic growth summit secured N$20 billion investments.

New container terminal a strategic gateway – Geingob
Eveline de Klerk, 2019-08-05, New Era

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WALVIS BAY – President Hage Geingob said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must take advantage of the new container terminal at Walvis Bay to augment the growth of their businesses and bring much-needed jobs to the country. The container terminal at the port is a strategic hub, he added. Geingob was speaking on Friday when he commissioned the N$4.2 billion new container terminal at Namport (Namibian Port Authority) that was constructed at the harbour town by China Harbour Engineering Company.

A proud Geingob said it is up to Namibians now to ensure that the facility, constructed on 40 hectares of reclaimed land, is effectively utilised with increased throughput for the direct and indirect benefit of Namibia. The development is government’s single biggest investment to date and is part of its vision to transform the country into a super logistics hub due to its strategic position and its ability to allow landlocked countries access to international markets via the Atlantic Ocean. “Government made a promise to the Namibian people. A promise to bring about economic growth, job opportunities and prosperity to all Namibians. We are committed to this promise, on which we intend to deliver. Today is an indication that despite challenges, we are determined to build a united, developed and modern Namibian house,” Geingob said.  He said the new container terminal is yet another indication that Namibia as a country continues to make great strides towards achieving its developmental objectives as outlined in Vision 2030, National Development Plans (NDPs), fast-tracked by the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP).

He added that the construction of the container terminal now makes Namibia one of the few countries that have undertaken such a project. These countries are Australia, Brazil, Dubai and the Netherlands. The completion of the container terminal expansion puts us on a firm trajectory towards realising our dream of transforming Namibia into an international logistics hub,” said Geingob. The President explained that Namibia is linked to neighbouring countries through various transport corridors, thus it should strive to capitalise on this immense investment by harnessing the vast potential of Southern African Development Community (SADC) neighbours that have no immediate access to the ocean. “We have since coined the term ‘sea-linked countries’, to refer to what we previously referred to as ‘landlocked countries’. The new container terminal now gives us the additional capacity to serve both local and regional requirements, with Namibia becoming one of the countries with major container terminals across the continent.”

Geingob expressed his appreciation to the current and previous boards of directors, management and staff of Namport for the strategic initiative to expand the container terminal at Walvis Bay harbour. “From today, Walvis Bay becomes a strategic gateway to the emerging markets of southern and west Africa, as well as those of Latin America for the whole of SADC. So, let us build a Namibia that will be the jewel of our continent. Let us, therefore, keep our economy going – moving products, moving people and making sure that the port of Walvis Bay, and Namibia as a whole, continue to offer world-class facilities,” Geingob said.

China Harbour Engineering Company was awarded the contract to reclaim 40 hectares of land from the sea to construct the terminal to increase the current container handling capacity of 350 000 containers to 750 000 per year at the port.

Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba who officiated the ground-breaking ceremony in 2014, as well as various cabinet ministers, also attended the commissioning of the terminal on Friday.