Namibia expands Ngurare’s powers over state-owned enterprises
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Observer24
Namibia’s National Assembly adopted an amendment to the state-owned enterprise governance law expanding Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare’s powers. He will be able to set binding directives on board appointments, remuneration and the management of state-owned enterprises, according to Observer24.
Namibia’s National Assembly adopted an amendment bill expanding Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare’s powers over the governance of state-owned enterprises. The bill will allow him, after consulting the government, to issue binding directives on the appointment and removal of board members, employee remuneration, and the appointment, suspension and dismissal of chief executives and senior managers, Observer24 reports.
Bill B.10-2025 amends the 2019 Public Enterprises Governance Act by abolishing the post of a single minister responsible for these entities. Each enterprise will now report to the minister responsible for its sector, while the prime minister will centralise the main governance directives, which must be published in the Government Gazette.
Sector ministers will represent the state’s interests in their portfolios. They will be able to approve annual business plans, conclude performance agreements with board members and, for commercial enterprises, approve major transactions, subject to the agreement of the finance minister and the government. The bill also limits board members’ terms to three years, renewable once, with a third appointment possible only in exceptional circumstances linked to a lack of expertise.
The adoption follows Namibian lawmakers’ debates on several bills, published on 12 October. It also comes amid criticism of the concentration of ministerial responsibilities for state-owned enterprises in an analysis published on 4 October.
