President Hage Geingob says his hope is that the old-age pension grant will be increased to N$2000 or more.

Dr. Geingob says his desire is to see this happen before he leaves the presidential chambers.

Currently, over 202,294 pensioners receive the monthly old-age grant.

The Namibian leader recalled the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which prompted the government to enact policies and provide fiscal support to businesses and cash grants to more than 500,000 Namibians.

The Public Debt Servicing Bill has increased beyond the levels anticipated in the National Budget.

Finance Minister Iipimbu Shiimi says this is commensurate with a rising debt portfolio coupled with the prevailing tight financial conditions.

Shiimi pointed out that, as a result, interest payments have increased by N$1.7 billion to N$11.8 billion for the 2023–2024 financial year.

This equals 15% of the projected revenues for this financial year.

The increasing rate of crime in the Kavango East Region, particularly in Rundu, is concerning.

The police and community members therefore met to discuss how they could tackle this problem.

Governor of Kavango East, Bonifatius Wakudumo, says he is disturbed by the increased levels of crime.

Health facilities in the Zambezi Region have been experiencing an increase in the number of patients treated since the Katima Mulilo Border Post turned to operating 24 hours per day.

The Managing Director of Enkerhaus Private Hospital in Katima Mulilo, Dr. Ernest Kombo, said the influx requires more support from the private sector for the Katima Mulilo Hospital to provide prompt and quality healthcare services.

Enkerhaus Private Hospital acted on its word, donating medical equipment valued at N$300,000 to the facility.

The President of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia, Mahongora Kavihuha, believes the high cost of electricity in the country is a result of NamPower not living up to its mandate of producing electricity locally.

Kavihuha made this remark at a media conference.

The NamPower 2022 report indicates that Namibia imports 71% of its electricity from neighbouring countries.

Kavihuha says the power utility has proven ineffective in its duty to generate electricity from locally available and cheap resources.

The death toll of people who died from suspected food poisoning at Kayova Village in the Kavango East Region has increased to 13.

The Health Director for Kavango East, Waita Kapumburo, confirmed to nbc News that the number of people who are suspected to have eaten poisoned food was actually 20 and not 18, as earlier indicated.

Kapumburo also confirmed that of the 20 people, 13 have so far died, while four are in critical condition.

They are all from the same household and aged between two and 33.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta has expressed concern at the increase in the population of brown fur seals at Cape Cross.

The Cape Fur Seal colony on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia is the biggest on the African coast, with over 100,000 seals.
 
The months of October, November, and December are usually the seal breeding season, where male seals reserve and defend their territories that consist of harems of between five and 25 females.

The Bank of Namibia has again increased the repo rate, this time by 50 basis points, from 5.5 to 6.75 percent.

Governor Johannes !Gawaxab says the raise is done in an effort to anchor inflation expectations as well as safeguard the one-on-one peg arrangement with South Africa.

!Gawaxab says the decision was taken following a comprehensive review of global, regional, and domestic economic developments.

There was a need, he says, to strike a balance between controlling inflation expectations and supporting the domestic economy's recovery.

JUST IN | The Ministry of Mines and Energy has announced an increase of N$1.98 in the price of diesel while the price of petrol remains unchanged.

The new fuel prices in Walvis Bay will thus be N$24.10/l for diesel, while petrol remains at N$20.08/l.

The price adjustment is effective from November 2nd, 2022.

The Bank of Namibia has decided to increase the repo rate by 75 basis points to 6.25%