Stakeholders in ||Kharas Region have voiced diverse views of the draft National Upstream Petroleum Policy aimed at shaping the future of the emerging oil and gas industry. 

The Upstream Petroleum Unit under the Office of the President held the consultation in Keetmanshoop. 

The stakeholders called for greater benefits for local communities through job creation and capacity-building. 

"The ||Kharas Regional Council must benefit from the royalties. Whether it is one per cent or half a per cent, a portion of royalties needs to be for the regional council for this part; that is what I am proposing," said one person.

Another resident of Keetmanshoop remarked, "My recommendation is to provide a house for every Namibian and ensure rural electrification for all households in rural areas using the proceeds from the oil industry." 

Other contributions focused on the issue of ownership, with one contributor stating, "we must examine how to regain ownership and ensure we have shareholding in these large companies. This policy is lacking that," while another participant said that "We have to look beyond oil and gas; we have to look at the impact of oil and gas on economic emancipation it will have on the community."

The stakeholders commended the government for soliciting their inputs to develop a coherent framework for managing the oil and gas industry amid growing interest following recent discoveries offshore. 

Carlo McLeod, the Presidential Special Advisor and Deputy Head of the Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Namibian Presidency, stated, "For this document to be enriched and have a meaningful impact, it is essential that you, the community, provide insight and input. And that's exactly what happened today. And I want to commend you, and I want to congratulate you for being active participants and ensuring that your inputs are heard, and making sure your concerns are raised."

A validation workshop will follow the consultations, set to be concluded in the third week of this month. 

The policy aims to strengthen national control over natural resources and enhance Namibians' involvement in the oil and gas industry by providing jobs, skills training, and opportunities for ownership.