The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources has asked uranium mines to be truthful in revealing how much of their budget is spent on electricity and water.

Tjekero Tweya believes the cost of the two utilities is too high in Namibia, and that is among the reasons why uranium mines are not making a bigger impact on the country's development. The mines and energy subcommittee under the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources visited various mines in the Erongo Region.

Mining giants with a Chinese majority shareholding, Rossing, and Husab Uranium were on the list, but parliamentarians were not satisfied with the presentations by management, as they did not indicate how the cost of utilities impacts their businesses.

"It is a known fact at this point in time that in the whole SADC, Namibia is top in terms of energy costs, which are very expensive in Namibia. They keep laughing at us; you're producing these raw materials instead of using them to address your needs. You're taking it out now and buying it expensive. Can you not start thinking differently? Can we not use our resources that others are taking out to use to improve their economies, but ourselves remain suffering here? We remain poor," said Tweya.

While encouraging the companies to think of utility cost reduction measures, Tweya said if government policies and laws are the problem, they should not be afraid to say it to the committee.

"If it's a matter of policy by the government to say no, don't provide your own water and subject you to only buying from another private company through an SOE so that you pay more for the same bill and encroach on your profit, and as a result, you cannot plough back properly, we will expect you to give us evidence so that we can deal with real issues."

The uranium mines in the past indicated that they were struggling with water shortages, which is why they made investments to improve their storage facilities.

The leadership of both mines told the parliamentarians that they would provide the information they required to aid their report, which would be tabled in parliament.