The Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi has appointed interim boards for the Public Assets Management Agency of Namibia (PAMA) and a temporary board for the Namibia Airports Company (NAC).
The appointments are aimed at improving management of public assets and governance.
Nekundi highlighted that the oversight teams assume their roles at a critical stage of government efforts to maximise the utility and value of non-public-service public assets.
He emphasises that the boards are not being appointed to inherit established institutions but to build their foundations and ensure they operate lawfully, efficiently and commercially.
Nekundi says the government currently has state assets valued at more than N$179 billion, with the asset register still being updated.
"It must be understood, The mandate of PAMA will be centred on a transparent, efficient and effective management of the government's non-public service delivery properties and delivery of excellent services. I want to underscore transparent, efficient and effective management of the government's non-public service delivery properties. We are not going to bail you out. We will give you seed capital, and from there you must manage it. There is no compromise. A wonderful key performance indicator is to break even. Anything below that, you must bring a sufficient explanation, because we expect performance and we expect results."
The newly appointed manager of PAMA, Kristophine Naunyango, says the agency will operate as a commercially driven entity, focusing initially on government residential and commercial properties.
Naunyango says the initiative follows a presidential directive calling for the establishment of a public agency to manage government fixed assets.
The assets currently fall under the Department of Works in the Ministry of Works and Transport.
"We want to seek economic growth and development. By this, we are saying we need to leverage public assets that can fuel economic development, create job opportunities, and attract investments and further line to national development goals."
The interim and temporary boards will operate while government works on the institutional and legislative framework for PAMA, including the development of dedicated legislation governing IT.
The complete interim board members list is Irmgard Hamayulu as Chairperson deputised by Lelanie |Hoxobeb.
Setson Shifidi, Laurence Kavendjii, and Professor Suama Hamunyela are ordinary members of the board, while Naunyango serves ex officio.
Otniel Podewiltz is the new deputy chairperson of the NAC board, while Sophia Kasera, Phillip Ifo, Loide Ekandjo and Natacha Kandombo are other board members.