Africa-Press – Namibia. Two government announcements in the past week have suggested there’s an incomprehensible disregard for research data to inform decision-making.
Minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus cryptically confirmed, via an unofficial platform, that she has rejected Starlink’s application to provide satellite-driven internet services.
Around the same time, minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi reaffirmed the government’s intent to resurrect Air Namibia by next year – packaged as Namibia Air.
Nekundi shamelessly said the decision had been made despite the fact that research is still being undertaken on the airline’s viability following the spectacular flop of Air Namibia that cost the country’s tax coffers no less than an estimated N$15 billion (overall) in bailouts.
Theofelus has not provided details on Starlink, but appears to have ignored potential cost benefit information.
It is fair to assume she simply relied on the regulation that 51% ownership should be Namibian (better still, BEE).
Even worse, she may have taken seriously some short-sighted arguments that the obnoxious billionaire Elon Musk’s company might spy on or invade Namibia’s sovereignty.
Can our politicians please start working with reliable data when taking decisions that not only have far-reaching economic repercussions but affect both the social welfare and pockets of Namibians?
Witchcraft might work, but at least take the populace in confidence by being transparent about how the decisions were arrived at.
Source: The Namibian
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