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namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6695 TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2017 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Swakopmund uses about 25 million shopping bags annually
inside
Classic Safari tragedy
Photo by Erwin Leuschner
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Strand Hotel turns 2 Page 5
Struggle kids at NIMT Plastic waste covers a huge area at the Swakopmund landfill. The problem is the same across Namibia. With the new proposed plastic bag levy, the initiators of the project are one step closer of achieving the goal of a "no-plastic-landfill" Erwin Leuschner
An estimated 25 million plastic shopping bags are used by consumers in Swakopmund annually - most end up on the landfill. In an effort to reduce this immense waste the town council is preparing a levy system whereby retailers charge a levy to shoppers for plastic bags. The income generated from the levies is earmarked for an environmental fund. This might come into operation by early 2018. The figure about shopping bag usage in Swakopmund was revealed last Wednesday by Jaco Venter, the managing director
of Plastic Packaging Namibia. That was during a consultative meeting with retailers and other stakeholders the municipality organised in lieu of a by-law that is now prepared to enable retailers to charge the public for shopping bags. A dozen people attended the meeting. "Swakopmund can become unique and be an example to the rest of the world", Venter said during the meeting. According to him the shopping bag is one of
the most versatile products available, as it is used for a variety of purposes. Most is reused even for a second and third time. However, after that the plastic bag ends up in the trash and ultimately goes to the landfill. Fortunately, plastic bags also end up in the waste recycling circle such as the waste sorting plant of Rent-a-Drum. "It is impossible to ban the use of plastic bags, but we can reduce its usage", Venter explained. Continues on Page 2
Technology advances require from Namibians to re-skill and upskill Namibia's dropped by six places on the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report (2017-2018) from 84th place to 90th place [out of 137 countries). The lower a country scores out of 137, the better that country's business climate. According to the Managing Director of the Namibia Ports Authority, Mr Bisey Uirab, who made mention of Namibia's drop in the ranks last Thursday at the annual Port Users Luncheon five problematic factors were identified as the root cause:
access to financing, an in-adequately educated work force, inefficient government bureaucracy, corruption and poor ethics in the national labour force. According to Uirab access to financing, an inadequately educated work force, corruption and poor ethics in the
national labour force dominated in the last three competitiveness reports. Mr Uirab singled out education of the work force and ethics in his address to guests. In the operating environment of Namibia's ports, said Uirab, future jobs will require Continues on Page 2
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Treeplanting to celebrate 30 years of FNB
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2017 Dr Geingob Cup
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