Day: March 6, 2024

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Stevie® Awards Announce Finalists in 18th Annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Stevie® Awards Announce Finalists in 18th Annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Finalists in the 18th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, an international competition recognizing excellence in customer service, contact centers, business development, and sales, were announced today.

FAIRFAX, Va., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Finalists in the 18th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, an international competition recognizing excellence in customer service, contact centers, business development, and sales, were announced today.

A diverse group of organizations and individuals worldwide have been recognized in awards categories for sales executives, solution providers, contact centers, new products and services, and more.

Organizations with five or more Finalist nominations include Allianz Services Pvt Ltd (Trivandrum, Kerala, India), Avetta (Lehi, UT USA), Blackhawk Network (Pleasanton, CA, USA), Capital Rx (New York, NY, USA), CivicPlus (Manhattan, KS, USA), Datasite (Minneapolis, MN, USA), DHL Express Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), DHL Express (worldwide), Element Electronics (Winnsboro, SC, USA), IBM (Armonk, NY, USA), Inspiro (Makati City, Philippines), Intuit (Toronto, ON, Canada), Loveholidays (London, United Kingdom), OpenGov (San Francisco, CA, USA), Purpol Marketing Limited (Chippenham, United Kingdom), QNB Finansbank (Istanbul, Turkey), Qualitest Group (Bridgewater, NJ, USA), Sales Partnerships, Inc. (Broomfield, CO, USA), SAP (worldwide), Support Services Group, Inc. (Waco, TX, USA), Toco Warranty (Los Angeles, CA, USA), TransPerfect Translations (New York, NY, USA), UPMC Health Plan (Pittsburgh, PA, USA), ValueSelling Associates Inc. (Carlsbad, CA, USA), VIZIO Inc. (Irvine, CA, USA), VMware (Broadcom) (Palo Alto, CA, USA), and Voya Financial (New York, NY, USA).

For a full list of Finalists by category, visit www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

All Finalist nominations ultimately will be named Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners. The placements will be revealed during a gala banquet on Friday, April 12 at The Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets are now on sale.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, organizers of several of the world’s leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards® and The American Business Awards®.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 200 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Sales Director of the Year to Sales Training Practice of the Year, and Achievement in Sales Automation; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others.

All nominated finalist customer service departments will be included in voting for the People’s Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Customer Service. Beginning today through March 29, the general public may vote for their favorite providers of customer service in the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service. Voting is open at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com. The nominee with the most votes in each category will receive a special crystal People’s Choice Stevie Award. Winners of the People’s Choice Stevie Awards in multiple industries will be honored at the awards gala in Las Vegas on April 12.

Nominations for a special prize, the Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award, remain open through March 15. There are no entry fees to submit nominations for this award, which will recognize outstanding examples of ethical sales practices since the beginning of July 2022. Winners will also be announced and recognized at the April 12 ceremony.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the new Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries annually from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc. Support Services Group, Inc., and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Media Contact:
Nina Moore
+1 (703) 547-8389
Nina@StevieAwards.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d842dc2e-f7a4-40ca-a10c-1690e076d935

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9058607

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Zenas BioPharma Appoints Patricia Allen to its Board of Directors

WALTHAM, Mass., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of inflammation and immunology-directed therapies, today announced the appointment of Patricia Allen to its Board of Directors, on which she also will serve as Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Ms. Allen joins the Zenas Board of Directors with over 20 years of experience leading finance, investor relations, business development, human resources, operations and IT at global public and private biotechnology companies.

“We are pleased to welcome Patty to our Board of Directors,” said Lonnie Moulder, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zenas BioPharma. “She has successfully led cross-organizational functions and served on the board of directors of both private and public global biotechnology companies. We look forward to Patty’s contributions to the next phase of Zenas’ growth as we advance our mission to develop and commercialize transformative immunology-based therapies for patients in need.”

“I look forward to collaborating with the experienced Zenas team and Board of Directors, who are building a leading of inflammation and immunology-focused global biopharmaceutical company through disciplined pipeline execution and business development,” said Ms. Allen. “This is an exciting time for Zenas as they seek to progress multiple programs through the clinic to ultimately improve the lives of those living with autoimmune diseases.”

Ms. Allen most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at Vividion Therapeutics, from where she recently retired. While at Vividion, she co-led led fundraising and the company’s acquisition by Bayer AG, as the company grew and advanced multiple programs towards the clinic. She currently serves on the board of directors and as chair of the audit committee of Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, SwanBio Therapeutics and Anokion, in addition to holding past board member and audit committee chair roles at Inversago Pharma and Yumanity Therapeutics.

Prior to Vividion, Ms. Allen was the Chief Financial Officer at Zafgen, Inc. (now Larimer Therapeutics). Earlier, she was Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Director of Finance at Alkermes, Inc.; and Auditor at Deloitte & Touche, LLP. She received a B.S. in Business Administration from Bryant College.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of inflammation and immunology-directed therapies for patients in need around the world. With clinical development capabilities and operations globally, Zenas is advancing a portfolio of potentially differentiated autoimmune therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need. We leverage the experience and capabilities of our executive management team and our established networks throughout the biopharmaceutical industry as we seek to develop therapies that can improve the lives of those facing autoimmune and rare diseases. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit www.zenasbio.com and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @ZenasBioPharma and LinkedIn.

Investor and Media Contact:
Argot Partners
Zenas@argotpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9058707

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Education budget should deliver healthy balance between learners and students: Mbumba


WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba said a lot has to be done to ensure that budget allocations in education are spent to deliver a healthy balance between the operational expenditure and funds spent on the welfare of both school-going and university students.

Mbumba in his capacity as the patron of the Unam Foundation during the launch of the foundation’s brand and fundraising projects on Wednesday said the issue of textbook shortages, infrastructure deficiencies, quality of lecturing, curriculums and education aids must be attended to efficiently and effectively, which are addressing the realities on the ground.

He explained that collective obligations should be geared towards the outcomes facilitated by the education infrastructure and equipment that facilitates better instruction, improves student outcomes, and reduces dropout rates.

‘This year alone, the Minister of Finance announced a budget of N.dollars 18.3 billion to education, which was the second highest allocation. I hope this will translate int
o a higher ceiling of allocations for institutions of higher learning. In this way, many Namibians can obtain quality education and actively become their own emancipators in the fight against structural and historical poverty,’ he said.

Mbumba, who is also the chancellor of Unam, stressed that a well-educated labour force, which is globally competitive is essential for the industrial development of the country, specifically with the latest developments in the energy sector such as investments in the Green Hydrogen sector and discoveries of oil and gas quantities which will require skilled and professional human resources to ensure that Namibia derives maximum gains from the utilisation of its local mineral resources.

At the same event, Unam Vice Chancellor, Kenneth Matengu said the foundation aims to promote and facilitate the development and achievement of higher education objectives as a non-profit organisation.

‘Over the next five years our focus will be on expanding educational opportunities and foster
ing an environment conducive to academic excellence, personal growth and a shift to education for industrialisation,’ he noted.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Religious Leaders Hail Counties For Supporting ECDE Centers

Religious leaders from the Lower eastern region have commended counties that have invested heavily in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) terming the move a big boost for basic foundation.

The clergy speaking to the press at a Machakos hotel after holding a citizen led engagement forum, lauded governors in the region for improving ECDE infrastructure in their respective counties.

Led by Lower Eastern Coordinator, Major Leonard Kasyoka from the Salvation Army Church, the clergy urged counties to introduce school feeding programs in ECDE centers to increase school retention of pupils.

‘We take note of the good initiative to advance ECDE learning across the counties,’ said Major Kasyoka.

Major Kasyoka particularly hailed Machakos County Government for introducing the milk programme in ECDE dubbed ‘Maziwa ya Mama’ which he said besides increasing the number of learners will also boost their nutrition.

He asked other counties in the region to replicate the initiative in their respective counties.

Th
e church leaders also commended Makueni and Kitui counties for employing ECDE teachers on permanent and pensionable terms saying the move will improve the quality of education in the region.

‘We applaud Kitui and Makueni counties for upgrading their ECDE teachers’ salaries and employing them on permanent terms,’ said Major Kasyoka.

He added that the church acknowledged the efforts county leaders have made towards fulfilling the promises made to the people and said they were looking forward to progressive development in the coming years across the counties.

Through proper budget implementation, the clergy recommended that the county treasuries should ensure timely preparation and submission of financial reports to the office of the controller budget.

They further recommended enhancement of value chains through recruitment of experts to drive economic development besides supporting local communities to establish sustainable enterprises.

The church leaders also urged the counties to address pending bills to
ensure genuine bills are paid promptly by the end of the financial year and called for timely disbursement of county funds by the national government.

The religious leaders from the lower eastern region were drawn from African Brotherhood church (ABC), Salvation army, Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Full gospel and the Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG).

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Religious Leaders Hail Counties For Supporting ECDE CentersYoung Namibians willing to engage in entrepreneurship: Masua

Religious leaders from the Lower eastern region have commended counties that have invested heavily in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) terming the move a big boost for basic foundation.

The clergy speaking to the press at a Machakos hotel after holding a citizen led engagement forum, lauded governors in the region for improving ECDE infrastructure in their respective counties.

Led by Lower Eastern Coordinator, Major Leonard Kasyoka from the Salvation Army Church, the clergy urged counties to introduce school feeding programs in ECDE centers to increase school retention of pupils.

‘We take note of the good initiative to advance ECDE learning across the counties,’ said Major Kasyoka.

Major Kasyoka particularly hailed Machakos County Government for introducing the milk programme in ECDE dubbed ‘Maziwa ya Mama’ which he said besides increasing the number of learners will also boost their nutrition.

He asked other counties in the region to replicate the initiative in their respective counties.

Th
e church leaders also commended Makueni and Kitui counties for employing ECDE teachers on permanent and pensionable terms saying the move will improve the quality of education in the region.

‘We applaud Kitui and Makueni counties for upgrading their ECDE teachers’ salaries and employing them on permanent terms,’ said Major Kasyoka.

He added that the church acknowledged the efforts county leaders have made towards fulfilling the promises made to the people and said they were looking forward to progressive development in the coming years across the counties.

Through proper budget implementation, the clergy recommended that the county treasuries should ensure timely preparation and submission of financial reports to the office of the controller budget.

They further recommended enhancement of value chains through recruitment of experts to drive economic development besides supporting local communities to establish sustainable enterprises.

The church leaders also urged the counties to address pending bills to
ensure genuine bills are paid promptly by the end of the financial year and called for timely disbursement of county funds by the national government.

The religious leaders from the lower eastern region were drawn from African Brotherhood church (ABC), Salvation army, Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Full gospel and the Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG).

Source: Kenya News Agency

WINDHOEK: Swapo Party parliamentarian Patience Masua said that young Namibians want to engage in entrepreneurship but lack the necessary startup funds.

Despite the financial challenges faced by young people, Masua said in the National Assembly on Tuesday that efforts are being made to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

‘Many young people have an appetite for business, they have the talent, skills, ideas, and brilliance – all ingredients to build a successful business. They simply do not have the funding or the degree,’ she said while contributing to a debate on SME financing and its importance to the economy.

‘SMEs are important for the growth and diversification of the economy. They create job opportunities, stimulate innovation, and contribute to the overall economic growth of our country,’ said the youthful lawmaker.

However, Masua said the government has taken steps to make it simpler for SMEs to obtain finance. This includes the skills-based lending facility offered by the Development Bank
of Namibia (DBN).

‘The DBN has provided crucial financial support to young entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses. Additionally, the government has also introduced various training programmes and mentorship initiatives to help SMEs grow and succeed in a competitive market.’

Masua also said that the allocation of funds toward small businesses in the 2024/25 budget towards the youth loan scheme is a step in the right direction to empower young entrepreneurs.

The budget of the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade this new financial year was increased by 31.7 per cent to N.dollars 365.5 million and a total of N$1.2 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Iipumbu Shiimi said that funding has been allocated to the Equipment Aid Scheme, Start-Up Namibia, and EMPRETEC Namibia to facilitate domestic trade activities and build domestic entrepreneurship capacity, especially for SMEs.

When tabling the budget, Shiimi announced the lifting of the mand
atory registration threshold for value-added tax (VAT) from N.dollars 500 000 to N.dollars 1 000 000.

He said this will relieve approximately 23 000 SMEs from VAT administration to focus on their core activities while simultaneously freeing capacity at the Namibia Revenue Agency to focus on large taxpayers.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Kisiwa Technical Institute Wins The Western Region TVET Skill Competition

Kisiwa Technical Training Institute, Bungoma has been crowned as the winner of the just concluded Western Region TVET fair skills held at the Busia polytechnic grounds.

The institution bagged several trophies in different categories, where Matili TTI from Bungoma County emerged as the first runners up, while Sigalala National polytechnic was honored for having presented various skills, innovations, robotics and research papers.

Wanga TVC was pronounced as the most improved in the TVET 2024 competitions.

Speaking to KNA immediately after the announcement of the results, Kisiwa TTI Research and Innovation Coordinator Sammy Mabele expressed excitement, adding that it was the first time for the institution to be the champions of the region.

‘We are so excited and very proud,’ he said, expressing gratitude to the institution’s principal and the Board of Governors for giving the much needed support to the innovators and exhibitors.

Mabele expressed confidence that the institution will be the champions at the N
ational level.

The Dean of Students at Matili TTI Arthur Amunga expressed joy stating that the institution has won more than eight trophies hence emerging second best.

Amunga thanked the Institution’s Principal for sponsoring all the projects that they displayed in the TVETs fair.

He appreciated their innovators and exhibitors for their hard work and commitment to the projects.

‘We actually bought the required material in time and the students worked on the projects in good time under the supervision of their instructors and trainers,’ he said.

The forum that brought together 29 TTIs and one TVC was presided over by the Western Regional Director of TVETs Joseph Sunguti.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Namibia and Angola seek cooperation in energy, agriculture and water


WINDHOEK: The leaders of Angola and Namibia have expressed the need for the two southern African countries to collaborate in various economic sectors.

This is among the outcomes of President Nangolo Mbumba’s bilateral talks with his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, when they met in Luanda on Tuesday.

‘The two presidents underlined the need to strengthen cooperation in the areas of oil and gas, energy, agriculture, and water,’ Press Secretary Alfredo Hengari said in a statement.

He said that President Mbumba, who took his first bilateral visit to Angola, emphasised that Namibia had a lot to learn from Angola in the oil and gas sectors. To give effect to the Agreement on Cooperation in Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mbumba toured the Sonangol Integrated Logistics Services (SONILS). The hub was created in 1995 to provide logistical support and related services to the Angolan oil, gas, and energy sectors.

As a result, Hengari said President Mbumba encouraged the leadership of SONILS to work with their Namibian
partners based on a solid and transparent partnership for the benefit of both countries.

Hengari said the two leaders also agreed to convene the Namibia-Angola Binational Commission in the coming months to scale up mutually beneficial cooperation between Namibia and Angola. Additionally, Mbumba and Lourenço also agreed to inaugurate the Cassinga Memorial in the coming months.

Hengari also noted that President Mbumba thanked his Angolan counterpart for the extraordinary material and emotional support his government provided to the people of Namibia following the death of former President Hage Geingob.

Mbumba also toured the Karam Group, a diversified company with steel, nails and pipe operations in Luanda and other parts of Angola.

According to Hengari, the company expressed interest in setting up similar operations for the amount of N.dollars one billion, with a potential 350 employment opportunities.

‘The management team of the company informed the president that they had secured land in Windhoek and we
re hoping to reach a stage when they would commence operations in the near future,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Embu County Automates Revenue Collection

Embu County Government is rolling out an automatic revenue collection system that is expected to seal all loopholes for revenue pilferage.

Governor Cecily Mbarire said the system developed in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT and Safaricom will make it possible to monitor revenue collected in real time.

She said her government’s revenue collection grew from Sh 350 to Sh 679 million in the last one year and automating the system is expected to grow it further to Sh 1 billion.

The governor was speaking at her boardroom Wednesday morning when she witnessed the swearing in of the first Embu County Revenue Authority (ECRA) Board members.

The board was established by the enactment of a law by the Embu County assembly four years ago but has never been constituted until now.

The Board will be headed by Eng Benson Kinga who will be chairman, while the members include the County Solicitor Kimani Karanja, Ms Jennifer Nyaga, Sophie Kaburu, James Ireri, Eric Njeru, Duncan Nyaga Muratia and Damiano Muthee, who is
the County Chief Officer for Finance.

Ms. Mbarire put the county’s revenue officers on notice that forthwith, any of them found collecting revenue in cash will be summarily dismissed, saying the time when the county government entertained cases was over.

She cited cess collection points, markets, bus and car parks as some of the notorious revenue loss risk areas and said officers in those departments will need to pull up their socks.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Embu County Automates Revenue CollectionOver N.dollars 100 million paid in tax refunds so far

Embu County Government is rolling out an automatic revenue collection system that is expected to seal all loopholes for revenue pilferage.

Governor Cecily Mbarire said the system developed in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT and Safaricom will make it possible to monitor revenue collected in real time.

She said her government’s revenue collection grew from Sh 350 to Sh 679 million in the last one year and automating the system is expected to grow it further to Sh 1 billion.

The governor was speaking at her boardroom Wednesday morning when she witnessed the swearing in of the first Embu County Revenue Authority (ECRA) Board members.

The board was established by the enactment of a law by the Embu County assembly four years ago but has never been constituted until now.

The Board will be headed by Eng Benson Kinga who will be chairman, while the members include the County Solicitor Kimani Karanja, Ms Jennifer Nyaga, Sophie Kaburu, James Ireri, Eric Njeru, Duncan Nyaga Muratia and Damiano Muthee, who is
the County Chief Officer for Finance.

Ms. Mbarire put the county’s revenue officers on notice that forthwith, any of them found collecting revenue in cash will be summarily dismissed, saying the time when the county government entertained cases was over.

She cited cess collection points, markets, bus and car parks as some of the notorious revenue loss risk areas and said officers in those departments will need to pull up their socks.

Source: Kenya News Agency

SWAKOPMUND: The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has so far paid over N.dollars 100 million to more than 46 000 individual taxpayers since the commencement of the mass tax refund exercise in December.

The refund which spans from 1991 to 2023, according to NamRA is to benefit over 63 000 taxpayers, with the lowest refund amount being N.dollars 100 while the highest is N.dollars 101 959.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, NamRA Chief of Strategic Communications and Support Engagements, Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze, highlighted the positive strides made and the impact on taxpayers by NamRA.

He noted that out of the 78 441 tax returns processed, 46 941 refunds were successfully paid to 46 772 individual salaried parsons and pensioners.

‘The cumulative value of these successful refunds was N.dollars 100.9 million, a significant financial relief provided to eligible taxpayers. While the majority of refunds were successfully processed, unfortunately 31 500 refunds, totalling N.dollars 56.9 million, were rejected for
various reasons,’ Ndorokaze said.

He explained that the rejection criteria encompassed outstanding returns, unpaid liabilities and no bank account numbers, amongst other factors.

The revenue agency has therefore urged taxpayers to proactively address the identified shortcomings to avoid refund rejections going forward, and ensure the swift release of their refunds.

The Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi during the tabling of the 2024/25 budget last week also announced a N.dollars 1.4 billion Government settlement in once-off legacy tax liabilities for selected public enterprises whose funding was severely reduced due to fiscal consolidation in previous years.

The enterprises include the University of Namibia (UNAM), TransNamib, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), New Era Corporation, the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (FishCor) and the Roads Contractor Company (RCC).

Shiimi said this is an exceptional once-off exercise to clear the legacy debt of public enterpris
es accumulated prior to the establishment of NamRA.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Mombasa Port Now Transshipment Hub For The Messina Shipping Line

The port of Mombasa is now a transshipment hub for the Messina shipping line which has now become a regular caller at the port.

A full-capacity container vessel, the Ignazio Messina line, MV Jolly Gaida docked at the port of Mombasa at berth number 16 and is expected to leave on Wednesday night.

The vessel was loaded with around 2000 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).

Addressing a Press conference, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto said that it is an opportunity for KPA since Messina line has invested in complete full container vessels.

He said the shipping line was used to bring Ro-Ro vessels at the port of Mombasa, which they used to berth at berth number one.

The MD attributed the growth in business to the port’s efficiency saying new cranes are operating the ship hence new lines have changed their mode of delivery from Ro-Ro to full container vessels.

Captain Ruto added that the authority appreciates the Messina line for converting the port of Mombasa into a transs
hipment hub.

‘Of the containers discharged from the ship, more than 35 percent belong to other ports, mainly Dar es Salaam. The port of Mombasa is acting as a transshipment hub for the Messina line and all their cargo heading to Dar es Salaam will be transshipped from this port. This is building us an excellent business and we thank them for building confidence in us as a port,’ he added.

He said the port will commit to offering operational efficiency and reduction of ship waiting time so that the ship owner and the importer get value for money.

Cpt Ruto added that the ship is coming from Europe and its first call was Djibouti with Mombasa being its second port enroute to Durban and will come back to Mombasa to pick up export cargo and other transshipment cargo coming from other ports within the region.

He said the Lamu Port being a transshipment port will start its services to handle transshipment cargo as they expect to receive ship-to-shore crane equipment next month.

‘I hope the Lamu port will kick s
tart its operations soon. We are not worried since we expect shippers to adjust to the new port,’ he said.

Captain Tommaso Elmetto thanked the Mombasa Port management and requested for reinforcement of the agreement, and cooperation between the Messina line and the Port of Mombasa.

‘Our relations with KPA go way back; this is why we are using Mombasa as a transshipment hub. We are planning to improve our services,’ he said.

Messina line Regional Managing Director Captain Giuseppe Fedele said that MV Jolly Gaida is the fifth full container line vessel coming to the port and there are more vessels ready to come in in a bid to support each other.

‘We have now invested in a full container vessel; we have a normal line service with four calls in a month. Historically Messina has had services in Mombasa for the past 35 years and hopes to continue its operations here,’ he said.

Fedele said that due to the popularity and efficiency of the Mombasa port, they chose it as a transshipment hub.

Source: Kenya News A
gency

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Nairobi Hosts The 2nd Round Of Egypt-Kenya Business Bridge Forum

Nairobi has played host to the launch of the 2nd Round of the Egypt Business Bridge Forum, with Kenya in collaboration with USAID Trade project in a bid to support the Egyptian exports for the Export Council for Building Refractory and Metallurgy Industries and the Chemical and Fertilizers Export Council.

The CIB Bank which is the largest private sector Bank in Egypt with more than 300 correspondents over the world, was responsible for holding the event that brought together all its clients who are both stakeholders and entrepreneurs in the trade industry.

The event included different business discussion sessions between entrepreneurs and all potential customers, and the exhibition set-up had a variety of products that were free to sample by interactive buyers.

Speaking during the session, the Vice President (VP) of the CIB Bank African Desk, Ahmad Ahmud, said the forum along with many other forums the Bank is organizing with different export councils in Egypt focuses on trade finance between Egypt and Ken
ya.

‘As long as we are part of COMESA, it gives CIB Bank the privilege to exchange products between Kenya and Egypt,’ added Ahmud.

He also noted that Egypt is the second largest importer of Kenyan tea, and the two countries have a trade volume of between US$600 to US$700 per year.

CIB Bank being the only bank with a branch both in Kenya and Egypt, the VP revealed that they plan on taking advantage and capitalizing on the event’s discussions in terms of supporting Egyptian importers including coming- up with and inviting their clients and local clients.

Ahmud affirmed that Kenya can rely on the Bank to give credit terms to the local Kenyan companies, insisting that they should not worry of the payment as it will be secured through the Industrial Control System (ICS).

He termed this as value addition and sees it as giving an instrument of trade to finance itself.

The Assistant VP CIB Kenyan desk Sulman Lashar, stressed that all the instruments are to facilitate trade, thus, the event provides the opportun
ity for different suppliers and buyers to build trust and relationships hence increasing trade between the two countries.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Blaauw vows to develop football at grassroots level


KEETMANSHOOP: Newly elected ||Kharas football second division league executive committee (exco) chairperson Emrico has vowed to ensure that all teams in the league register a young team or adopt a school team to develop the sport at the grassroots level.

This, he said, will allow an exchange of expertise in the game of football as well as develop a working relationship with schools in the region.

In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday Blaauw said during his five-year tenure he will also make women’s football a priority, with at least one ||Kharas women’s team in the Elite Women Super League.

‘Teams from the second division are faced with the challenge of transportation of players and officials to attend away games as it is costly and there is a need to source funding from the public and private sector,’ he said.

The chairperson further said the new exco is busy fostering a working relationship with South Africa’s Football Association in the Northern Cape, to build relations and cooperation in the area of
football between the ||Kharas Region and the Northern Cape.

‘Since our players from the south find it very difficult to penetrate through the Windhoek route, we can make use of the twinning agreement between the ||Kharas Region and the Northern Cape, to ensure our players and teams play there. We know we have talent in the south and we can sell our players that side. We believe if we sell our players, the small teams from the first and second division from our region will make more money and this will also allow our players to be scouted in South Africa,’ he said.

Other exco members include Renaldo De Klerk as vice-chairperson, Zayne Beukes as secretary and Luken Shivela as treasurer, while Fanny Boois, Vyvion Kheibemab and Lesley Boois are additional members.

Blaauw emerged victorious during an election that took place here over the weekend, where 11 out of the 17 member teams voted in favour of Blaauw.

He competed against Mesag Natanael, who received only six votes.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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NamPol needs help from private sector in crime prevention


TSUMEB: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Oshikoto Region is calling on NGOs, companies, and other stakeholders to come together to prevent crime in the region.

Regional Commander, Commissioner Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku in particular urged non-governmental organisations and private companies to come on board and create awareness in preventing crimes.

Kalompo-Nashikaku during a crime prevention stakeholder meeting held in Tsumeb on Wednesday said the police cannot solve crime alone; it needs stakeholders to help curb crime because having them on board will have a positive impact in society.

‘We cannot solve the crime alone, we need stakeholders to assist us in fighting crimes and safeguarding our society,’ she said.

Kalompo-Nashikaku said this after Dundee Precious Metal suffered from several copper wire theft incidents in the past 14 months. A total of seven cases were opened where suspects were arrested and several incidents were reported internally where no suspects were arrested.

She said t
hat copper wire theft is a serious problem in the town as Cenored regularly replaces copper wire.

Kalompo-Nashikaku also called on the public to not buy copper wire from any person.

‘People should not buy any copper wire from unlicensed business owners because they might also become culprits,’ she warned.

Dundee’s Protection Services and Emergency Response manager Jaco Haasbroek said the impact on the plant and community is that it caused an emergency shutdown due to water loss from the dam and powerplant.

He further said they lost production totalling an estimated loss of production revenue of N.dollars 22 million, electricity outages in town, and impact on other business revenue.

‘Our biggest challenge is the market owner of this copper wire theft and we want to kill the market for this culprit,’ said Haasbroek.

Law enforcement is planning to create awareness with stakeholders such as Telecom Namibia, Tsumeb Municipality, Dundee, Rubicon Security, Cenored, Ongopolo Mining, Office of the Prosecutor Gen
eral, and the local Neighbourhood Watch.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Suspends Licensing Of BarsPUBLIC LIBRARIES REMAIN RELEVANT AMID DIGITALISATION

Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor Wisley Rotich has suspended the licensing of all bars in the region.

Rotich announced that bars across the County will undergo a fresh vetting process, signaling a significant shift in alcohol regulation.

The Governor emphasized the urgency of addressing the County’s alcohol problem, stating, ‘As a County, we are headed on the wrong path and we need to address it urgently before we start burying people as is happening in other parts of the Country.’

He further highlighted the prevalence of second-generation alcohol sales in many bars, stressing the need for immediate intervention to save lives.

The Governor’s announcement coincided with the replacement of the County Alcoholic Drinks Regulations Committees, with a new team inaugurated to oversee the vetting process. Rotich also directed residents to participate in public forums to provide recommendations before new licenses are issued.

‘I want to assure you that we shall enforce your recommendations, especially those concer
ning closure of alcoholic outlets that sell illicit alcohol,’ he vowed.

Keiyo North Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Julius Maiyo echoed the gravity of the alcohol crisis, labeling alcohol addiction as the County’s ‘number one enemy.’

He singled out notorious brands such as Flying Horse, Diamond Ice, African Spear, and Konyagi, which have become prevalent among locals.

Maiyo highlighted a distressing incident involving a bar where patrons were found consuming alcohol while engaging in acts of sodomy. He asserted that swift action had been taken, with the closure of the bar and revocation of its license.

He emphasized the importance of ethical conduct among government officers involved in enforcing alcohol regulations, cautioning against corruption and collusion with bar owners.

The DCC cautioned against prioritizing revenue over-regulation, stressing the need for a holistic approach to tackle the menace effectively.

Maiyo urged against compromises in the fight against alcohol abuse, warning that any for
m of collusion would undermine the progress made.

The duo issued stern warnings to County staff undermining efforts to combat illicit alcohol, emphasizing the consequences for such misconduct.

They emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity and impartiality in the fight against alcohol abuse.

Source: Kenya News Agency

WINDHOEK: Despite a significant change in the public’s access to and consumption of information brought about by digitalisation, public libraries in Namibia continue to be important hubs for knowledge and information.

The advent of digitalisation has dramatically changed the way the public accesses and consumes information. The rapid digitisation of societies has raised questions about the continued relevance of public libraries and whether they still have a place in the modern era.

Despite these, public libraries continue to play an important role in Namibian society amid the digital age and free internet access to information, including books.

This is according to Sarah Negumbo, the Director of the Namibia Library and Archives Service. Negumbo told Nampa in an interview that public libraries remain relevant even in the digital age for many reasons, including free access to a wide range of information resources.

‘The public libraries are continuing to fulfil a significant role by providing free access to
the internet and e-resources, facilitating skills development through ICT training, and assisting with online job applications, particularly in areas where access to electricity is limited, benefiting underserved communities,’ she said.

The Directorate of Namibia Library and Archives Service in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture oversees 66 public libraries in Namibia and Negumbo said they have adapted well to the digitalisation.

Negumbo noted that the advent of the Internet, or digital age, did not diminish the importance of public libraries in Namibia, with 60 of the public libraries offering free internet access and e-resources to their respective communities.

‘Currently, some of the public libraries are already using computerised systems such as Koha and Symphony; these are systems installed to manage libraries’ collections and resources.

Libraries have transformed into dynamic community centres, adapting to the evolving needs of their patrons. They are now offering a range of digital resourc
es, including e-newspapers, e-magazines, free access to social media, basic ICT training, artificial intelligence services, library automation, and open-source software,’ Negumbo explained.

She said the directorate has initiated several innovative programmes to ensure public libraries remain relevant in the digital age.

These include services such as basic and advanced ICT training and graphic design, online job applications, and mobile library services. Public libraries countrywide also offer a range of services to the general public, such as homework assistance for learners and reading activities.

Others include information sharing sessions on agriculture, health, and crafts, as well as entrepreneurial skills development such as sewing, soap making, and bead making.

Negumbo said public libraries also provide career guidance in collaboration with human resources practitioners and professionals.

‘Through literacy and numeracy skills development, the directorate has introduced the Namibia Reads App, an on
line reading application with more than 10 000 e-books and audio-books for young learners between the ages of seven and twelve.

‘These books can be read, or the system can read them to learners. The directorate further introduced the spelling bee competitions, just to instil a culture of reading and participation among the children,’ she said.

For these reasons, Negumbo stated that public libraries are still a good public investment and that they are still essential to the general public.

‘Public libraries in Namibia have undertaken initiatives to alleviate poverty by promoting information and communication technology services within their facilities. This strategy aims to enhance the living conditions of community members and bridge the digital divide. Libraries play a crucial role in advancing global education outcomes by leveraging devices such as cellular phones, tablets, and computers, along with their associated applications and software.

‘By incorporating technology, libraries empower learners to a
ctively participate in a global knowledge economy. This not only enriches their understanding of the world, but also amplifies their voices and strengthens their position as they navigate their roles in the broader global context,’ Negumbo explained.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Government committed to addressing land redistribution challenges: Schlletwein


WINDHOEK: Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlletwein, said that the Revised National Resettlement Policy 2023-2033, shows the government’s commitment to addressing land redistribution challenges in a more coordinated, inclusive and transparent manner.

He told Parliament on Tuesday that the revision reminded the ministry of the importance of continual review of existing policies to ensure they remain responsive to the prevailing needs and expectations of the Namibian people.

‘Therefore, this revised National Resettlement Policy 2023-2033 presents a blueprint with which the government, aided by all key stakeholders and the citizens at large, can address the issues of efficiency, equity, transparency, tenure security, capacity building and agricultural production as fundamental elements of a progressive and inclusive National Resettlement Policy,’ Schlletwein said in a ministerial statement.

He said that the revision of the National Resettlement Policy 2001 started in 2016 and was broad
ened by the directives from the second National Land Conference, which took place in 2018.

Thereafter, the ministry convened regional and national consultative meetings to solicit further inputs into the policy.

‘The Revised National Resettlement Policy presents the government’s commitment to addressing land redistribution challenges that our country continues to battle in a more coordinated, inclusive and transparent manner.

Schlletwein said the policy targets resettling previously disadvantaged Namibians who do not own agricultural land or adequate agricultural land.

‘This is achieved under the reviewed policy by grouping the target beneficiaries into three main groups: commercial farmers on leased land in commercial or communal areas; communal farmers; and non-farming individuals,’ he said.

To ensure success, Schlletweein noted that the policy establishes three resettlement models, namely the high economic value model, the moderate economic value model, and the low economic value model.

He said that
the policy was already approved by Cabinet in May 2023 and has mandated his ministry and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to publish it.

He added that his ministry is currently reviewing the resettlement criteria to be in line with the approved resettlement models in the revised policy.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency