Hope for Rent-A-Drum's

Continued from page 1 orange bins are collected by RAD forfurthersortingandprocessing. Thecouncilagendafurtherexplains, as part of the agreement, RAD provided the resources necessary for weeklycollectionoftheorangebins fromallgenerationpointsincluding housetohouse,throughoutthetown. It is further said that in December 2022,priortotheexpiryoftheagreement, RAD indicated pertinent operational issues in the tri-partite MOAwhichhamperedtheiroptimal performance and proposed the way forward with recycling in Swakopmund. The pertinent issue was allegedly the loss of 6.4 million from 2018 to date which RAD suffered, and to break even, an additional turnoverofN$157572,50permonth was needed for the branch in Swakopmund.

During a special council meeting held on 22 June for the purpose of renewing/extending the MOA, the council recommended that the council meets Rent-A-Drum halfway by subsidising the recycling waste collection operations for the orangebinsbypayingamonthlyfee ofN$160000tocovertheoperation. It was also recommended that Council introduces a fixed levy of N$16 on the 2023/2024 tariff structuretorecoverexpensesofrecycling wastecollectionoperationsintown. One of the conditions for the extension of the contract is that Rent-ADrumemploysemployeeswhowere affected by the expiry of the agreement as a first choice before considering new employees and that a andNationalEnergyFund(NEF)Levy,will remain unchanged for the upcoming year. Erongo RED emphasised that these tariff adjustments are not exclusive to their region. The bulk tariff increase will be applied country wide. The increase is necessaryduetofactorssuchasoperations and maintenance costs, customer service, overheads,andworkingcapital.Despitethe tariff adjustment, Erongo RED aims to mitigate the impact on customers and ensure service delivery remains uncompromised. The company will continue to provide subsidised tariffs for pensioners and low-income members of the community Pensioners are urged to reregister to maintain eligibility for the subsidised tariff, reducing the risk of misuse. Erongo RED encourages eligible individuals to visit their offices and apply for social tariffs in accordance with the Social Tariffs Policy The company has considered various factors, including infrastructuredevelopment,electrification, operational costs, and the impact on commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential consumers Acting Chief Executive (ACEO) of Erongo Red, Nico Niemand said at the press conference, “ErongoREDisoneofthefewdistributors thatwasnotaffectedbyNamPower's Debt Collection Plan Our account with

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NamPower is current and thus all our stakeholders can be rest assured that the power supply to the region will not be disconnected. Therefore, for us to continue with our excellent service delivery, we urge all our customers to continue supporting us by settling their accounts on time.This will also allow us to pay Nampower on time and ensure electricity services continue uninterrupted.Asacompany,wehaveconsidered allpossiblewaystoensurethatwepasson the least and most reasonable tariff adjustment to the customers, whilst ensuring the sustainability of the company.” submissionbemadetotheprocurement committee for consideration and processing in compliance with thePublicProcurementAct,Act15 of 2015 as amended. This new contractcameintoeffecton1July When Rent-A-Drum started with the Swakopmund Sorting Plant, their household target was 76 tons per month. Woensdregt said since 2015therecyclingplantrecycledan average of 127 tons per month, whereby the households of Swakopmundcontributesanaverageof (58tonspermonth/46%).Rent-ADrum has recycled and diverted 5,326tonsofhouseholdwastefrom October2016toJanuary2023from thelandfillsite.

To sustain their services, Erongo RED requests timely settlement of accounts to ensurepromptpaymenttoNamPowerand uninterrupted power supply The company plans to reduce expenditures, put projects on hold, and explore alternative sources of cheaper electricity Thisincludesthedevelopmentofa20MW solarprojectinpartnershipwithasuitable strategicpartner Erongo RED remains committed to delivering safe, reliable, sustainable, and accessible electricity to the region. By working together with stakeholders, they aimtostabilisetariffsintheyearstocome.

HumanResourceManagerofRentA-Drum, Tertius Woensdregt, told the Namib Times in a telephonic interview,theextensionofthecontract is exciting news for Rent-ADrum.Woensdregt said,“wemust clarify that as of now, we have not received any formal correspondenceorwrittencontractregarding the extension. Therefore, we are unable to proceed with re-employing the employees until we receive the official documentation(s) from theSwakopmundMunicipality.” Woensdregtsaidoncetheyhavethe formalwrittendocument(s)intheir possession, Rent-A-Drum will promptly move forward with reinstating the employees. Woensdregt concluded, “we understand the importance of this matter and will act accordingly as soon as we havethenecessaryinformation.”