Ref: 13/6/26
25 April 2007

MEDIA BRIEFING FROM CABINET CHAMBERS

Cabinet took the following decisions at the 6th 2007 meeting of the 4th Government held on 17 April 2007:

1. REGIONAL INSTRUMENT ON THE PROTECTION OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPRESSION OF FOLKLORE
The field of Intellectual Property (IP) is dynamic, complex and multidisciplinary. It is one of many key crosscutting issues, which are at the centre of most trade, legal and policy debates taking place at the regional and international levels.

To keep Namibia abreast of developments in the IP arena, the country must be actively involved in shaping IP and building our capacity to take full advantage of the system.

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the Organisation Africaine de la Propriete Intellectuelle (OAPI) are the only two regional organisations in the field of IP in Africa. The two organisations have committed themselves to work together towards the development of IP in Africa. They have initiated the process of harmonisation and concrete steps towards harmonisation have been undertaken, including the development of the harmonised text of the protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expression of Folklore.

During its 13th session in Maputo, Mozambique in November 2006, the Administrative Council of ARIPO unanimously adopted the draft legal instrument on the protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore and recommended further national and regional consultations; the harmonisation of the revised and updated instrument with that of OAPI; and that the final draft be submitted to the SADC Council of Ministers to determine the roadmap for developing an ARIPO Protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge and expression of folklore for accession by member states.

Against this background, Cabinet gave permission for Namibia to continue working with the Secretariat of ARIPO to finalise the instrument. Cabinet also mandated the Minister of Trade and Industry to adopt the instrument during the forthcoming 11th session of the Council of Ministers that will take place in Harare, Zimbabwe later this year. Cabinet also gave approval for Namibia to host the second regional consultation meeting of member states during the course of 2007.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Trade and Industry at telephone number 2837111.




2. TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCHES (TACs) FOR HAKE, MONKFISH AND ORANGE ROUGHY FOR THE 2007/2008 FISHING SEASON, 1 MAY 2007 TO 30 APRIL 2008
Major environmental parameters, such as sea surface temperatures, dissolved oxygen, up-welling and primary productivity of the water have remained within average levels for the past four years. There were no strong anomalies in the marine environment during 2006 and scientists from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources are of the opinion that conditions remain generally favourable for spawning, survival and growth of fish stocks.

Juvenile hake is, however, subjected to immense predation pressure. Seals feed on the earlier pelagic life stage and those that survive, grow bigger and advance to deeper waters become a subject of predation to larger hake. This high predation is a cause to the below average recruitment of hake in the current favourable environmental conditions.

The abundance of jelly fish has also become noticeable in our waters. They cause further competition on food and space for pelagic species and larval stages of demersal species, such as hake. The hake stock therefore, needs to be slowly rebuilt to sustainable levels.

The monkfish species currently represents one of the more healthy stocks estimated to be around the maximum sustainable yield.

As for orange roughy, stock surveys have not detected re-aggregation on the main fishing areas or an increase in spawning activity and this calls a precautionary TAC.

Against this background, Cabinet approved TACs as per Section 38 of the Marine Resource Act (Act 27 of 2000) as follows:
Hake : 130 000 tonnes
Monk fish : 9 500 tonnes
Orange roughy: 900 tonnes

Cabinet approved the 2007/2008 fishing season for hake, monkfish and orange roughy from 1 May 2007 to 30 April 2008.

Cabinet further instructed the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Advisory Council to work on new measures to address demarcation and closure of some areas considered to be sanctuaries or nursery habitat for juvenile hake. They should also assess the impact of long liners on the spawning hake component of the stock and look at the possibility of changing the mesh size for hake trawlers from the current 110 mm to 120 or 130 mm, a move that can lead to the reduction of numbers of small hake landed.

If the whole TAC is caught in each fishery as indicated above, revenue of N$54.45 million will be generated for the Government.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources at telephone number 2053111.

3. STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE VALUE ADDITION IN THE LIVESTOCK, MEAT AND LEATHER INDUSTRIES AND RELATED DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRIES
The difficult situation facing the meat industry was brought to the attention of Cabinet in 2003. The problem centres mainly on the lack of feedlots and the negative activities of speculators from outside the borders of Namibia. These speculators distort the price of livestock in the country and thereby deny the domestic abattoirs and tanneries the much needed livestock, hides and skins for slaughter and processing into leather and leather products.

The exporting of animals on the hoof also denies local abattoirs the opportunity to slaughter animals and downstream industries to process meat into meat products.

This situation will not allow for the much needed industrial development in this particular sector and industry to take place as is envisaged in Vision 2030. Cabinet, therefore, by Decision No. 22nd/17.09.02/007 resolved to promote local value addition to meat, hides and skins in the country before they are exported.

To iron out several problems in the sector, a consultative workshop on possible strategic options for value addition in the meat industry reached consensus on a number of issues when they met in Otjiwarongo in November 2006. The workshop was attended by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Finance, representatives from the Meat Board, Abattoir Association, Namibia Agricultural Union, the Namibia National Farmers Union, Leather and Allied Industries of Namibia and the Livestock Brokers’ Association.

With the above in mind, Cabinet resolved that the export of animals must be closely monitored by the Meat Board on quarterly bases and progress must be reported to the Implementation and Monitoring Committee, which shall in turn review the export target of 120 000 cattle to ensure availability of throughput for local processing capacity. Cabinet gave approval that weaners are exempted from an export levy for 12 months. An instruction was also issued to the Ministry Agriculture, Water and Forestry to put mechanisms in place that would ensure that local slaughter capacity is fully utilised and feedlots are developed through the Green Scheme of this Ministry and private initiatives. Cabinet approved the maintenance of the current ratio of 6 to 1 for sheep, inclusive of fat tail sheep.

Cabinet, furthermore, approved the definition of value addition in the meat and leather industries to be “transformation of an original product into a new product or products by processing and/or manufacturing operations across the value chain of the industries with special emphasis on the degree of transformation. Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Trade and Industry, that of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and the Ministry of Justice to look at the possibility of amending the Meat Industry Act of 1981 (Act 12 of 1982) to transfer the responsibility of issuing trading licences to foreign livestock buyers from the Meat Board to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. All legislation that may have a bearing on the 1992 Import and Export legislation, Namibia’s commitment to the World Trade Organisation, the SADC Protocol on Trade and the 2002 Southern African Customs Union Agreement must also be amended.

Cabinet approved the postponement of the implementation of the 15% export levy on goats for 12 months on condition that the Meat Board ensures availability of alternative markets at the expiry date of this grace period. Cabinet also exempted pickled skin from the 15% export levy for 12 months on condition that further processing shall be done henceforth locally at the end of this grace period.

Cabinet furthermore, approved a 60% export levy on raw hides and skins instead of the earlier 15% levy.

Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry to conclude Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) agreements/measures with countries such as China and America to enable the export of Namibian products to such countries and to develop new markets for meat and meat products with immediate effect.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Trade and Industry at telephone number 2837111.

4. HIRE PURCHASE OF ERF 1745, CONTINENTAL HOTEL BUILDING, WINDHOEK
After the Continental Hotel Building was put on the market for either lease or outright sale, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration approached the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication to make an offer for a hire purchase agreement for the building on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration. After the structural soundness of the building was confirmed, permission was obtained from Treasury in the Ministry of Finance to go ahead with the deal.

The Ministry was planning to construct new head quarters at an estimated cost of N$200 million. Acquiring the Continental Hotel Building will cost N$18.1 million, representing a saving of N$172 million that could be used for other capital projects.

Against this background, Cabinet approved the acquisition of Erf 1745,
Continental Building, Windhoek for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication at telephone number 2088111.

5. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICIALS OF THE MINISTRY OF MINES AND ENERGY TO THE NAMDEB MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE BOARDS OF NAMDEB AND DE BEERS MARINE NAMIBIA
Cabinet approved the appointment of Mr. Erasmus Shivolo, the Director of Mines and Acting Mining Commissioner as Chairperson of the Namdeb Management Committee and as Alternate Director of Namdeb on behalf of the Government.

Cabinet also approved the appointment of Mr. Mathews Amunghete, the Chief Inspector of Mines, as a Director of De Beers Marine Namibia to replace Ms. Lahja Amaambo who resigned from the Board.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Mines and Energy at telephone number 2848308.

6. APPOINTMENT OF A MEMBER TO THE NAMIBIA AGRONOMIC BOARD
Cabinet approved the reappointment of Mr. Schalk Oosthuizen to the Namibia Agronomic Board after his first term of office as a representative of producers of controlled agronomic crops on the Board expired on 31 March 2007.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry at telephone number 2087643.

7. APPOINTMENT OF NEW MEMBERS ON THE NAMIBIAN DELEGATION TO THE KAVANGO RIVER BASIN COMMISSION (OKACOM)
Two previously approved members to the Kavango River Basin Commission have either been transferred to different Government institutions or retired from the public service. Since it is in the interest of Namibia that a representative from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism serves on OKACOM, Cabinet approved the appointment of Ms. Maria Kapere, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to OKACOM. She replaces Mr. W.N. Amagulu as representative of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on OKACOM. Mr. Amagulu was transferred to the Ministry of Veteran Affairs as Permanent Secretary.

Cabinet also approved the appointment of Mr. Abraham Nehemia, Director Rural Water Supply in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry to OKACOM to replace Mr. Piet Heyns, who retired from the public service earlier this year.

Namibia’s delegation to the Kavango River Basin Commission will remain under the leadership of Mr. Kahijoro Kahuure, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry at telephone number 2087111.

8. NAMIBIAN AGRONOMIC BOARD: BUDGET FOR THE 2007/08 FINANCIAL YEAR
Cabinet noted the above-mentioned budget and gave approval to the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry to table it in the National Assembly.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry at telephone number 2087643.

9. 2004 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AUGUST 26 HOLDING COMPANY (PTY) LTD
Cabinet approved the above-mentioned annual report for tabling in the National Assembly.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Defence at telephone number 2049111.


10. COMPANIES AMENDMENT BILL
Due to a typographical error that needs to be corrected in the Companies Act, 2004 (Act No 28 of 2004), Cabinet gave its approval to the Minister of Trade and Industry to table the Companies Amendment Bill, 2007 in the National Assembly.

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Trade and Industry at telephone number 2837111.




LOINI-NYANYUKWENI KATOMA
PERMANENT SECRETARY