Day: March 15, 2024

WINDHOEK: Namibia is rapidly becoming the leading light of the Empretec Programme, a capacity building initiative specially designed to encourage entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. The Empretec Namibia Programme was first launched in 2019 as a partnership between the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme aims to promote entrepreneurship as an essential component of economic growth and development in Namibia. Empretec has been proving its positive impact for over 30 years since it was first launched in Argentina by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Since it was first piloted in Namibia in 2019, close to 2 000 entrepreneurs have graduated from the programme. Last year, 1 400 entrepreneurs completed the training, while 90 were the first to graduate in 2019. Henry Kisting, one of Empretec Namibia's alumni, said the programme gave him special skills that allowed him to run his upholstery business in Windhoek. 'I can say the programme really helped me a lot in the sense that it opened my eyes to things like how to plan, aggressive marketing, and how to look for business opportunities. To be honest, I was lacking in many areas of running a business,' Kisting said, while encouraging other aspiring entrepreneurs to take part in the programme. Elina Emvula, who operates a decoration business at Grootfontein, also had good things to say about the programme. She said her participation in the programme in 2019 gave her a boost to run her small business, which manufactures a range of wood furniture, kitchenware, and wall decor. 'It really boosted my skills to run my business. When I started, I did not really know what I was doing. Even up to now, I still have my notes from the workshop, and at times when I get stuck, I still go back to my notes to boost myself,' said Emvula, who also recently opened a restaurant in Grootfontein. The 2024 edition of the Empretec programme was launched in Windhoek recently, and the launch coincided with the first entrepreneurial training that began on 04 March and was attended by 30 entrepreneurs. During the six-day workshop, participants were exposed to behavioural entrepreneurial competencies that are associated with successful entrepreneurs worldwide. The CEO of Empretec Ghana Foundation, Dunwell Eku, who also conducted the workshop, noted that the programmes are unique from other entrepreneurial training programmes. Eku emphasised that the programme takes a behavioural approach to entrepreneurship, and that it is more practical, interactive, and experience-based. 'Over the years, I am aware that governments have invested in a number of funded training programmes that focus on learning some financial and management skills, and I am aware that in some countries, government funding is as much as 90 per cent of start-up capital, and it did not work,' Eku said. 'So this workshop is about getting entrepreneurs to understand that there is something within them, and if they bri ng it out and practice it, it can become a part of them. They can apply it in all situations that confront them.' Romanus Haironga, one of the 30 participants who finished training last week, expressed gratitude to the Empretec Programme for helping him gain new insights into managing a business. The aspiring entrepreneur from Kavango West said he is venturing into small and medium businesses training and coaching in his region. He said the workshop was about changing the mindset of entrepreneurs, which he said is the biggest challenge for business owners. 'The biggest challenge is our mindset, and we need to change that. For example, I learned that you can start a business without money, but our mindset is that you need a lot of money to start a business, that the government is not giving us capital, and so forth. Therefore, the approach of the Empretec programme is changing that mindset, that entrepreneurs can even start with little money,' Muronga said. Industrialisation and Trade Minister, Lucia Iipum bu, who launched this year's programme, said that Empretec Namibia seeks to train local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and larger enterprises into appropriate entrepreneurial behaviour, to ensure that they can create sustainable businesses. In partnership with Empretec Ghana, the minister said they aim to train up to 180 trainees this year. 'We also aim to work with both UNDP and UNCTAD to ensure that Empretec Namibia is certified as a global centre by the end of this year. In addition, we aim to create a pool of trainers who will become the resource for Namibian trainers to carry out these trainings themselves. Further, we are working with the Ministry of Higher Education and its agencies to initiate work to accredit our training,' Iipumbu said. Speaking at the launch, UNDP Resident Representative, Alka Bhatia, said Empretec Namibia intends to build resilience and boost confidence in MSMEs. With rising unemployment in Namibia, Bhatia said the programme aims to empower small business o wners with the skills necessary to become productive in the national economy. She also commended the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade for its idea to set up a blended financing programme that will provide grants and loans to MSME at a nominal interest rate. In support of SMEs, the Ministry of Finance has increased the ministry's budget by 31.7 per cent to N.dollars 365.5 million in 2024/25 financial year and a total of N.dollars 1.2 billion over the medium-term expenditure framework. Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi has 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. Source: Namibia Press Agency

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, may God assist him, will chair, on Friday, Ramadan 4, 1445 AH, corresponding to March 15, 2024, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the first religious lecture of the holy month of Ramadan, which will be given by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq. This discourse will be broadcasted live on radio and television starting from 4:30 PM. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse OPUWO: World Wetlands Day was commemorated at Opuwo on Thursday under the theme 'Wetlands and human wellbeing', emphasising the critical role of wetlands in human prosperity and a healthy planet. World Wetlands Day is an annual event held to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands and promote their conservation and sustainable use. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at conserving and sustainably managing wetlands around the world. During the event, Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein spoke of the significance of protecting Namibia's wetlands, highlighting their diverse ecological functions and their significance as habitats for numerous species. Schlettwein further emphasised the importance of wetlands in human health, food security, agriculture, and conservation efforts. 'Maintaining healthy freshwater wetlands means securing water supply. Our rural communities depend on wetlands for food and building materials such as reeds and timber to construct their houses,' he added. The minister also referenced World Water Day, which is celebrated annually to promote the value of freshwater and the sustainable management of freshwater resources. 'Demand for water in the world and Namibia has been increasing and will continue to do so over the coming decades due to population growth, socio-economic development, and increased food production,' he noted. Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Phamba Shifeta stated at the same event that the world is losing wetlands three times faster than it is losing forests, with more than 80 per cent of wetlands having disappeared since the 1700s. 'The trend is accelerating even further since the Ramsar Convention to protected wetlands was signed, and since then at least 35 per cent of the wetlands have been lost,' he said. Shifeta said human activities and climate change are the primary causes of wetlands degradation and loss, which in turn have a detrimental impact on human liv es and welfare. He urged traditional authorities and regional and local government officials to help promote the culture of wetland conservation, stating that concerted efforts at the local level will ensure that Namibia's wetlands are protected and continue to provide much-needed ecosystem services to both society and the environment. Wetlands are habitats that hold water, either continuously or seasonally, and the Kunene Region has over 15 wetlands. Source: Namibia Press Agency

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, may God assist him, will chair, on Friday, Ramadan 4, 1445 AH, corresponding to March 15, 2024, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the first religious lecture of the holy month of Ramadan, which will be given by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq. This discourse will be broadcasted live on radio and television starting from 4:30 PM. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, may God assist Him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and HH Prince Moulay Ismail, chaired on Friday at the Royal Palace in Rabat the first religious lecture of the holy month of Ramadan 1445 AH. The lecture was given by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, on the theme of "The renewal of religion in the system of Imarat Al Muminin' (Commandery of the Faithful), inspired by the Hadith of the Prophet Sidna Mohammed (PBUH): 'Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renew its religion for it." Toufiq began the lecture by emphasizing that the Commandery of the Faithful has fulfilled and continues to fulfill its mission in all fields, including the religious field in the broadest sense, by ensuring the preservation of the Ummah's fundamental choices and the imperatives of renewal to keep pace with change. This preservation and renewal, he expla ined, are based on three axes: "the renewal of religion as approached by Muslims and others in the past and today", "the renewal of religion within the framework of the Commandery of the Faithful" and "the prospects for this renewal on a national scale, inspired by a model that is an extension of the efforts made by the Sovereign in fulfilling His mission'. He pointed out that, while the proponents of renewal from within Islam might currently be having some impact, their discourse has nevertheless failed to provide Muslims with the answers they were hoping for, in this case those making the religious act a springboard towards the fullness promised by the Holy Quran. With regard to the revival of religion in Morocco in the past and today, he stressed that the Almighty has kept the country safe from all forms of discord (fitnah), having opted since the Idrisids for the institution of the Commandery of the Faithful. While the various dynasties that have reigned in Morocco have alternated plans for reform and renewal, he said, the Alawite dynasty has opted for concrete reforms, including the restoration of the country's political unity following its disintegration at the end of the Saadi reign, the re-establishment of security and stability, the exercise of consensual arbitration between the society's different components and the fight against foreign covetousness. Among the manifestations of this dynasty's revival of religion are the sultan's counsels, which draw their essence from the spirit of the prophetic hadith, the subject of this lecture, including the message addressed by His late Majesty Hassan II to the Islamic Ummah on the occasion of the beginning of the 15th century of the Hegira, in which the late Sovereign said that God has generously endowed Muslims with a solidly based faith whose strong structure is worthy of all times and places, and a Shariah whose principles need no modification. As part of the preservation and renewal of religion, the Commandery of the Faithful is also in charge of protect ing human dignity, since the Commander of the Faithful, as the guardian of the act of allegiance, must ensure the dignity of people and public freedoms, he said. In addition, the Commandery of the Faithful has paid particular attention to the issue of the family in terms of legal renewal, social support and legal reform, he added, noting that the issue of women is constantly evolving within Imarat Al Muminin. He pointed out that the Commandery of the Faithful has given a sense of renewal through introducing the participative finance model in the banking system, while setting itself up as a model in the social sphere, the various trials having demonstrated that the values of religion continue to shape the conscience of the Ummah. Reviewing the Commandery of the Faithful's action to protect and renew religion, Toufik stressed the importance of protecting the cultural diversity of the various components of the Ummah and safeguarding spiritual values, which reflect the depth of the religious act and the specif icity of belonging to the Islamic Ummah. Turning to the third theme of the lecture, Toufik noted the disparity between the perfect practice of religion and the lack of quality in the religious act, emphasizing the role of inspired Ulema in the equation for change and renewal. Aware of this disparity, the Ulema institution has embarked on an innovative project based on the use of various means of influence, the re-establishment of the role of Ulemas as influencers and their direct involvement in the field, notably within mosques, with the support of Imams, Mourchidines and Mourchidates. He concludes that the transmission of knowledge has a dual goal: to reduce the costs of political management and to guard against all forms of internal and external discord, and thus be in a position to face up to all potential challenges. At the end of the lecture, HM the King was greeted by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, the President of the Fatwa Council of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Sheikh Al Mahfoud bin Bayyah, the Emir of the State of Kano (Federal Republic of Nigeria), HH Aminou Ado Bayaro, the President of the International Islamic University of Indonesia, Jamhari Makruf, the Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in Namibia, President of the Islamic Judicial Council of the Republic of Namibia, Mohamed Mathieu Nebkombo and the Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in Niger, Idrissa Maiga Abdallah. The Sovereign was also greeted by Sheikh Al-Mahfoudh bin Abdullah bin Bayyah, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace (United Arab Emirates), Mahmoud Abdou Zouber, Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in the Republic of Mali and chargé de mission in the Office of the President of the Republic, and Ali Mohammed Salim, Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in the Republic of Kenya, Abdelkader Sheikh Ali Ibrahim, Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in the Federal Republic of Somalia, Sheikh Salim Hitimana, member of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in the Republic of Rwanda, Mufti of the State and President of the Higher Council of Islamic Affairs in the Republic of Rwanda, and by Langa Dolani Vincent Zaid, Chairman of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema's Section in South Africa. Subsequently, the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, presented to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, a book entitled "Religious Recommendations of the Sovereigns of the Alawite Dynasty to the Moroccan Ummah". The book contains eight copies of messages addressed by the Sultans of the Alaouite Dynasty, from the reign of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah (1171 AH- 1204 AH) to the reign of the late HM Hassan II, Commander of the Faithful, may God rest his soul, to the Moroccan Nation on the subject of safeguarding religion and its renewal. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

A Royal Navy Coast Guard intercepted, on Thursday, approximately 33 km southwest of the city of Tarfaya, a boat carrying 52 Sub-Saharan individuals intending to migrate irregularly, including 5 women, who were planning to reach the Canary Islands. The rescued individuals received first aid on board before being safely taken back to the port of Tarfaya and handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for standard administrative procedures, according to a statement from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse