The Bankers Association of Namibia (BAN) held a chairmanship handover ceremony yesterday in Windhoek.

Calls for the government to lift the moratorium on pilchards are getting louder, following reports of illegal pilchard fishing near Walvis Bay.

The calls are also based on surveys indicating that the pilchards' biomass has increased, showing signs of recovery over the past four years.

The Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade, Michael Humavindu, has denied allegations emanating from South Africa that Namibia has banned fresh produce imports from the southern neighbour.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform has announced the resumption of the importation of poultry meat from South Africa to Namibia.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, is concerned about the G7 nations' proposal to ban the sale of Russian diamonds.

This, Alweendo says, could have implications for African diamond-producing countries, including Namibia.

The Cabinet has banned exports of lithium and other critical minerals and rare earth elements.

This follows a submission by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, to this effect.

The export of lithium in its raw form has been the focus of some communities and activists lately.