Namibia News
Nam expects N$16m from SADC secretariat
2016.05.18

CABINET has directed the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation to follow up with the SADC secretariat on a reimbursement of about N$16 million due to Namibia with respect to contributions to the Southern African Development Community Organ’s Mission in Lesotho. Addressing a media conference in the capital on Thursday, of information and communication minister Tjekero Tweya said this reimbursement was noted in a report on the SADC Council of Ministers’ meeting in Gaborone, Botswana on 14 and 15 March. He said Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Finance to find alternative funding of over N$1,7 million which will be remitted towards the contingency fund of the SADC secretariat. Cabinet likewise approved the submission of a report by the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Small and Medium Enterprise Development on the implementation of the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and other SADC programmes at national level by 30 May 2016 to the SADC secretariat. This will be Namibia’s contribution to the consolidated report on the implementation of the RISDP and the Regional Economic Integration Programme. The RISDP is a comprehensive development and implementation framework guiding the regional integration agenda of SADC over the period 2005−2020. It is designed to provide clear strategic direction with respect to SADC programmes, projects and activities in line with the SADC common agenda and strategic priorities, as enshrined in the SADC treaty of 1992. The ultimate objective of the plan is to deepen integration in the region with a view to accelerate poverty eradication and the attainment of other economic and non−economic development goals. It was formulated in March 2001, and was adopted and approved by the SADC summit in August 2003. Cabinet also instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, through the industrialisation, ministry to submit preliminary data on cereal and other food requirements for the 2016/17 financial year to the SADC secretariat. At its meeting held on 14 and 15 March, the SADC Council of Ministers invited member states to provide immediate relief to meet the food and non−food requirements of more than 28 million vulnerable people who are affected by the previous poor rainy season, and provide preliminary data on cereal and other food requirements for the 2016/17 marketing year by 30 March 2016. This is to facilitate planning logistics and resource mobilisation; and scale up appropriate climate−smart technologies on agriculture, energy, water and other relevant areas in order to adapt and mitigate against the impact of climate change.