The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund, in partnership with the Law Reform Commission, has engaged stakeholders in the  ||Kharas  Region to provide their input on the proposed amendments to the MVA Fund Act. 

The consultative meeting was held in Keetmanshoop. 

The proposed amendments aim to expand the MVA Fund's revenue sources through new levies on foreign, local and electric vehicle registrations.

They also seek to remove fixed benefit amounts from the Act and place these under regulation, while also introducing new benefit exclusions. 

Additionally, it will mandate the Fund to clarify dependent eligibility for loss-of-support claims, define prescription periods for different claimant categories, broaden the Fund's right of recourse against at-fault drivers, and improve administrative efficiency.

Governor of ||Kharas Region, Dawid Gertze, said, "We understand that any legislative change can have far-reaching implications, and that is precisely why your input today is deemed crucial and essential. This consultation session is a unique opportunity for us to engage in constructive dialogue, share our experiences and also collectively shape a piece of legislation that will have a profound impact on the lives of many."

The Deputy Chief of Law Reform, Policy and Legislation, Mutundi Jacobs, highlighted that 'We want to make sure that everyone knows about the mandate of the MVA Fund, and this process we are embarking on, to make that the MVA Fund as of 2023 really speaks to the social economic circumstances of the Namibian people." 

"For us the proposed legislative amendments are to further this article by advancing legislation that sees people that had been injured in motor vehicle accidents out of dependency because of their injuries and rehabilitates them back into productive people in society with sustainable livelihoods," says Jocelyn Kurz, Chief Legal Advisor at MVA Fund.

The MVA Fund is expected to conduct similar consultations in other regions.