Thoughts On The Pandemic – Two Years On
State of Emergency The initial lockdown was difficult for the public to deal with, but it was necessary. At the time we didn’t know how harmful the virus might be – so it was legitimate for government to introduce emergency measures and limit some rights, such as freedom of movement and size of public gatherings. […]
Time to Reward the Vaccinated
Recently, local financial services company Cirrus Capital produced a chart showing that, at current rates, Namibia will only reach its target for COVID-19 vaccinations (1 478 756 people or approximately 60% of the population) midway through 2026. This extremely sluggish vaccination rate means that Namibia will have little protection against a potentially damaging fourth wave […]
It’s Time to Reward the Vaccinated
IPPR Executive Director Graham Hopwood argues that it’s time to incentivise the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in this opinion piece in The Namibian
Perspectives on Parliament July 2021
This edition of the IPPR’s Perspectives on Parliament bulletin looks at the impact COVID-19 has had on parliament, asks what has happened to the Access to Information bill, and reviews the recent controversy over genocide reparations. Perspectives on Parliament is part of IPPR’s Democracy Report project which is funded by the Embassy of Finland.
Namibia QER Quarter 2 2021
The QER for the second quarter of 2021 looks at economic developments between April and June, and includes a special focus on the tourism industry – examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and prospects for recovery.
Pandemic Procurement – Red Flags Fluttering
The red flags are flying over Namibia’s emergency procurement procedures. This Procurement Tracker bulletin reviews what happened during the March-September 2020 state of emergency and finds a series of concerning issues including: -Short tender periods; -Very few bidders or only one bidder invited to tender; -Few contracts awarded competitively; -Unclear or inaccessible company registration and/or […]
COVID-19 – Reforming The Economy
COVID-19 has compounded the economic travails that were already afflicting Namibia before the pandemic. Could the crisis be used as the springboard for much-needed reform? This paper argues for Namibia to embark on a clear programme of reform that would include a re-orientation of the national budget, a drive for private sector investment, and the […]
Govt’s Medical Aid Tender In The Spotlight
Questions have arisen over one of the most lucrative tenders in Namibia – for the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS). This edition of the Procurement Tracker Namibia bulletin examines some of the controversies around the tender which is up for renewal this year. In addition, the bulletin gives an update on procurement issues […]
COVID-19 Welfare Measures
This short briefing paper reviews the measures taken by government to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households and businesses. The paper presents a concise summary of measures taken, puts them in context, and gives updates on progress where evidence is available.
Countering the Disinfodemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread from its initial epicentre in China at the end of December 2019, so too did a rising tide of disinformation. Some of this disinformation, known as a ‘disinfodemic’, has undermined the effectiveness of health responses to the pandemic. This new briefing looks at what can be done to stem the […]
