Capacity Building on Competition Policy in Select Countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (7Up3 Project)

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Capacity Building on Competition Policy in Select
Countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (7Up3
Project)

• Namibia Preliminary country paper

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Outline

• Introduction to the Namibia (location,
  indicators)
• National policies
• Nature of NAM markets
• Competition law
• Competition econ regulation
• Regional integration
• Consumer protection
• Concluding remarks

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(No Transcript)
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Indicator Value
Current GDP level (2003) US4,964 million
Average GDP growth (1990 2003) 3.1
Per capita income US1,960
Gini coefficient (1994 census) 0.70
Unemployment rate (2000 census) 33.8
Population (2004 estimate) 1.97 million
Population growth rate (1991 2001) 2.6
Literacy rate (2002) 83.3
Life expectancy (2002) 41.5 years

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Policies affecting competition
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1. Development policy

• TDP (91/2 93/4)
• NDP1 (95/6 99/0)
• NDP2 (01/2 05/6)
• Vision 2030

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Development objectives

• reduce poverty
• create employment
• promote economic empowerment
• stimulate and sustain economic growth
• reduce inequalities in income distribution
• reduce regional development inequalities
• promote gender equality and equity
• enhance environmental and ecological
  sustainability
• combat the further spread of HIV/AIDS

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2. Indus Invest policies

• Private sector to take a lead
• Govt to create environ
• Govt to attract Investment
• Consistency in policy
• Proper communication
• Prevent further monopolies
• Limited intervention
• Value addition, exports

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3. EPZ

• Foreign Investment Act (Act no. 27 of 1993),
  incentives
• No VAT on purchase import of machinery
• Buildings written off at 20 (1st), 8 (10)
• Expo promo allowance. 25
• Corporate tax abatement of 50, 5yrs
• Others

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4. Trade policy

• WTO requirements
• SACU Agreement
• Diversification of exports primary to
  manufactures
• Diversification of export destinations, economic
  development.

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Trade barriers

• Tariffs on imports (SACU)
• Namibia Agronomic Board
• The Meat Board of Namibia
• Some equivalence to export subsidies
• Exchange controls
• Import/Export Licensing

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Labour policy

• access to finance
• development of markets for SME products
• provision of information on input sources and
  the promotion of group purchasing schemes
• development of sites and premises
• provision of support training in the form of
  mentoring and after-care services

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Labour policy - goals

• Previously disadvantaged persons
• equality of opportunity for women
• maternity leave and employment security for women
• promote sound Labour relations and fair
  employment practices
• lay down certain obligatory minimum basic
  conditions of service for all
• health, safety and welfare of people at work and
  to prevent the abuse of child labour

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Labour policy

• Labour Act, 1992
• The Social Security Act, 1994
• Employment policy, 1997
• Affirmative action, 1998

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Nature of Namibian markets
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The Competition law in Namibia
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The competition Act, 2003

• objectives
• Application
• Independence, capacity powers of NCC
• Restrictive Business Practices

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Interface between competition and economic
regulation in select sectors
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Market structures in Select industries

• Electricity supply Industry
• communication and transport Industries
• Financial Services Industry

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Regional integration

• WTO
• SACU
• CMA
• SADC
• COTONOU

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Consumer protection

• NCL
• NAMFISA
• Other e.g. financial sector