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namib times SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6838 FRIDAY 29 MARCH 2019 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
To the rescue: Mozambique
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Profits in assembly industries A flight of Bay Air Aviation on a final approach to Maputo International Airport (Mavalane) yesterday at around noon. The well-known Maputo-Katembe suspension bridge can be seen on the foreground right. That is Africa’s longest suspension bridge, spanning a total of 3km. The picture was taken from the cockpit of the company’s Mitsubishi MU-2 aircraft. Floris Steenkamp One of the coast's best-established names in aviation, Bay Air Aviation, is assisting with a massive relief operation in Mozambique where Cyclone Idai has created destruction and demise beyond imaginable proportion. The sole proprietor of Bay Aviation, Mr Frank Stein, on Wednesday night hours before his departure to Mozambique explained Bay Air Aviation will be assisting flying medical provisions between the capital Maputo in the South and Beira, a trade and port city to the north of the capital. Beira took the brunt of the storm and was virtually flattened by the Cyclone. “This is the time to act. Bay Air Aviation, by virtue of its vast experience and accumulated operational knowledge as aviation logistics service provider to the offshore oil- and gas exploration business, will assist to make a positive difference to the people of Mozambique, Mr Stein said. Mr. Stein and a second pilot of Bay Air Aviation departed Windhoek for a flight to Maputo at 06:00 yesterday morning and said if the situation demands, more planes owned and operate by Bay Air Aviation will be put into operation in Mozambique. “We will assess the situation later in the week when briefed by the various relief operations organisations currently on the ground in Mozambique”, concluded Stein. The latest situation in Mozambique, according to the UN demands nearly US$300 million in aid over the next three months. Mozambique has an estimated 1.7 million cyclone victims. That is despite neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi and other nations in the Region that were also hit.
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Fuel prices remain unchanged
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National Energy Fund strong enough to “cushion” high fuel prices for the month of April Floris Steenkamp
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Namibia's National Energy Fund (NEF) has a healthy financial position and is adequate too subsidise fuel prices in Namibia for the month of April. This was the Ministry litre for diesel. Energy Fund is repleof Mines and Energy's An under-recovery nished by a NEF-levy message on Wed- means it costs more to per litre of fuel sold in nesday, confirming in import fuel than the Namibia and in hard a statement as a result price the consumer times these accuof this healthy balan- pays at the pump. This mulated funds are ce, fuel prices will re- negative difference can used to subsidise fuel main unchanged for only be cancelled out prices to prevent it the month of April. by two means: either to from becoming unsusThe NEF will absorb increase fuel prices to tainable economically [subsidise] the current compensate for the loss for the fuel consumer under recovery of (achieve and over- to absorb. 56,179 cents per litre recovery) or subsidise Global market forces for 95-octane petrol the shortfall. that created the curand 27,668 cents per Namibia's Mineral rent under-recovery Continues on page 2
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