MPs fear petroleum unit will weaken oversight

Some lawmakers fear that establishing an upstream petroleum unit in the Office of the President could weaken parliament's oversight by transferring petroleum administration powers from a minister directly accountable to the National Assembly to the president and appointed officials.Former mines deputy minister Kornelia Shilunga heads the unit.The concerns emerged during debates on the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, as lawmakers questioned how parliament would scrutinise the unit's decisions, protect its independence from political interference and prevent excessive concentration of regulatory authority in the Presidency. Several Swapo lawmakers maintain that the proposed arrangement would improve coordination and technical administration without undermining parliament's oversight responsibilities.Mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse introduced the amendment bill as part of the government's plans to restructure the administration of upstream petroleum activities.It proposes establishing the upstream petroleum unit, headed by a director general and supported by a deputy director general, while redistributing specified responsibilities currently exercised by the minister and commissioner for petroleum affairs.The changes would alter the institutional arrangements through which petroleum decisions are administered, making the relationship between the Presidency, the proposed unit and parliament a central issue in the debate.AR leader Job Amupanda said the legislation was largely concerned with redistributing responsibilities between government institutions rather than addressing weaknesses in petroleum administration.“It is about removing powers from one functionary to another functionary,” Amupanda said.His concerns centred on the constitutional implications of moving responsibilities from a minister answerable to parliament to the president and a director general operating within the Presidency.Such a change, he argued, required careful consideration of how decisions would be scrutinised and how those exercising the transferred powers would be held accountable.Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) MP Nelson Kalangula raised similar questions, while IPC MP Milunga Lizazi proposed a different approach.“If the ministry of mines lacks capacity, the logical step is to strengthen and capacitate the ministry,” Lizazi said.AccountabilityNudo MP Vetaruhe Kandorozu warned that the arrangement could expose petroleum regulation to political interference and create uncertainty for investors.Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Koviao Hengari acknowledged that a specialised institution could improve petroleum administration but insisted that its powers must be matched by effective accountability mechanisms.“The president is not the problem. Concentrated power without equally strong public, parliamentary and legal control is the problem,” Hengari said.His concern was not simply where the institution would be located but whether sufficient checks would exist to prevent regulatory decisions from being exercised without meaningful scrutiny.Another PDM MP, Inna Hengari, recognised the potential usefulness of a specialised petroleum institution, although she cautioned against treating its establishment as a complete solution to the country's petroleum governance challenges.“A professional, upstream petroleum unit can be useful, but a regulator is not a national petroleum strategy,” she said.Swapo defends specialised unitSwapo MPs have maintained that placing the unit within the Presidency would improve strategic coordination while leaving technical responsibilities in the hands of specialists.Ephraim Nekongo pointed out that parliament would retain its legislative, budgetary and oversight functions and said the upstream unit is not "inconsistent" with the Constitution.He maintained that presidential oversight and technical administration could operate alongside existing parliamentary responsibilities, provided the proposed institution functioned within the country's legal framework.Tobie Aupindi placed particular emphasis on the unit's professional independence and the need to clearly separate political direction from regulatory functions.“The upstream petroleum unit must be a professional institution, not a political office,” Aupindi stressed.Although he supported the proposed institutional changes, Aupindi cautioned that the unit's position within the Presidency "must not mean insulation from oversight".He called for transparent administrative procedures, clearly defined responsibilities and a professional regulatory structure capable of operating without undue political influence.Information minister Emma Theofelus drew attention to provisions requiring senior officials responsible for petroleum administration to declare financial or personal interests that could create conflicts.

MPs fear petroleum unit will weaken oversight

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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MPs fear petroleum unit will weaken oversight

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

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