Fisheries ministry backpedals on Pty restriction
In the wake of widespread criticism over certain restrictive criteria, when it comes to applying for fishing rights, the fisheries ministry has now announced amended conditions.
Following regional consultations fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau announced this week the application criteria requiring Pty companies only has been relaxed, but not set aside entirely.
He explained “close corporations and other legal entities are now allowed to apply for fishing rights”, but are required to convert to a Pty if they are shortlisted.
Esau also confirmed the deadline for applications has been extended from 31 July to 31 August.
He said during the public consultations in all 14 regions the public supported the “need to protect vulnerable shareholders through the gazetted Pty approach”, the stated intention of limiting applications as gazetted in May.
Do your homework
The Popular Democratic Party (PDM) was a vocal critic of the conditions for new fishing rights applications.
PDM's Jennifer van der Heever publicly said the application criteria were exclusive and played into the hands of the “fishmonger lawmakers” and those who have historically benefited already, while pushing aside the poor, disabled and currently disadvantaged.
PDM's Nico Smit also tabled a motion that called for the reversal of the fishing rights criteria, emphasising a need to relax the conditions to allow more Namibians to apply.
Smit told Namibian Sun yesterday the amendments announced by Esau closely resembled the proposed changes he had included in his motion, apart from the condition that shortlisted candidates will be required to convert to a Pty before a final decision is made.
He emphasised again that the registration of a Pty is costly, amounting to between N$20 000 and N$30 000, which automatically pushed many Namibians to the sidelines in the fishing rights application stream.
“It excluded everybody,” Smit said, especially those intended to benefit as singled out by the minister, such as women, young people, people living with disabilities, liberation war veterans and people living in economically marginalised communities.”
Smit added that although he was happy and in agreement with the amendments, it was the “second time” the minister and his staff had “messed up.”
He referred to the steep hike in recreational angling permit fees, which were hiked by around 10 000%, from N$14 to N$1 500 a month.
Following an outcry within and outside Namibia's borders, the ministry was forced to do a U-turn and amend the prices again to affordable levels.
“After a week or two they had to backpedal. What is wrong with Esau and his people that they don't do their homework properly? And in the process, it costs a lot of money and frustration. They should do their work.”
JANA-MARI SMITH
Following regional consultations fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau announced this week the application criteria requiring Pty companies only has been relaxed, but not set aside entirely.
He explained “close corporations and other legal entities are now allowed to apply for fishing rights”, but are required to convert to a Pty if they are shortlisted.
Esau also confirmed the deadline for applications has been extended from 31 July to 31 August.
He said during the public consultations in all 14 regions the public supported the “need to protect vulnerable shareholders through the gazetted Pty approach”, the stated intention of limiting applications as gazetted in May.
Do your homework
The Popular Democratic Party (PDM) was a vocal critic of the conditions for new fishing rights applications.
PDM's Jennifer van der Heever publicly said the application criteria were exclusive and played into the hands of the “fishmonger lawmakers” and those who have historically benefited already, while pushing aside the poor, disabled and currently disadvantaged.
PDM's Nico Smit also tabled a motion that called for the reversal of the fishing rights criteria, emphasising a need to relax the conditions to allow more Namibians to apply.
Smit told Namibian Sun yesterday the amendments announced by Esau closely resembled the proposed changes he had included in his motion, apart from the condition that shortlisted candidates will be required to convert to a Pty before a final decision is made.
He emphasised again that the registration of a Pty is costly, amounting to between N$20 000 and N$30 000, which automatically pushed many Namibians to the sidelines in the fishing rights application stream.
“It excluded everybody,” Smit said, especially those intended to benefit as singled out by the minister, such as women, young people, people living with disabilities, liberation war veterans and people living in economically marginalised communities.”
Smit added that although he was happy and in agreement with the amendments, it was the “second time” the minister and his staff had “messed up.”
He referred to the steep hike in recreational angling permit fees, which were hiked by around 10 000%, from N$14 to N$1 500 a month.
Following an outcry within and outside Namibia's borders, the ministry was forced to do a U-turn and amend the prices again to affordable levels.
“After a week or two they had to backpedal. What is wrong with Esau and his people that they don't do their homework properly? And in the process, it costs a lot of money and frustration. They should do their work.”
JANA-MARI SMITH
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