By: Milton Louw
The banking population in Namibia has increased substantially in 2009 according to the World Bank’s Financial Access 2010 report released on Thursday, 16 September. The number of deposit account holders in Namibia has grown by 23 percent, with statistics confirming the resilience of the seven commercial banks during a year weighed down by the international financial crises.
According to the report, more than three quarters of the population (752 per 1000 adults) hold deposit accounts and 20 percent have loans with financial institutions. In comparison, the report shows that sub-Saharan Africa had an average of 163 deposit accounts per 1000 adults and only 28 bank loans per 1000 adults.
In addition the report shows that the disbursement of loans shrank across sub-Saharan Africa last year, with Namibian loan accounts declining in volume by 36 percent.
The most remarkable was that Namibia scored the highest with 1185 “Depositors with Other Depository Corporations” per 1000 adults. No other country on the Continent, or in any developing country for that matter, scored as high. In fact, Namibia is placed 16th in the world. To put that in perspective, Austria at number one scored 4785 and Italy, two places above Namibia, scored 1285 per thousand adults.
The Financial Access 2010 Report stresses consumer protection, financial literacy and rural, SMME and savings promotion as critical in the spread of services and products to unbanked populations. The World Bank's researchers note that while consumer protection legislation is in place in most countries, implementation and enforcement is often lacking.
"Legislation is often broad and does not cover issues specific to the financial industry," said a researcher. "Only half of the economies (studied in the Report) have legal provisions restricting unfair and high-pressure selling practices and abusive collection practices.
"Regulators in only about half of the economies are empowered to issue warnings or impose fines on financial institutions violating consumer protection regulations. A public notice of violation - one of the most effective deterrence tools - can be used in only about a third of economies." According to the Report, Namibia scores well across five critical areas, which include consumer protection, financial literacy and rural, SMME, savings and microfinance promotion.
The Financial Access 2010 Report encompasses survey responses from 142 economies, including Namibia, and analyses changes that took place in the banking landscape in 2009. The Financial Access 2009 Report covered 139 economies.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Thursday, 23 September 2010
A consumer law in Namibia should protect people who are renting
A Namibian Consumer Protection Act should specifically target unfair discrimination and enforce the right of equality in the consumer market. The Act must put the onus on the landlord to prove that he is not discriminating in any way against a tenant on the basis of things like race, gender, nationality, and even income.
In addition, we believe the new Act should allow for automatic renewal of the rental agreement. This will prevent landlords from using this as an excuse to terminate when the tenant wishes to stay. At present many agents and landlords are using the end of the year contract to get rid of tenants so they can increase the rent amount for the next person. Normally the rent will only go up by around ten percent, and the landlords are pushing up the prices to the new tenants by a lot more.
Lastly, we propose that the Consumer protection Act must include the right to fair and honest dealings. “No physical force, coercion, undue influence, pressure, duress or harassment may be employed to evict a tenant or compel them to sign a lease."
As an example, I quote from personal experience.
Last year, I was a renting near to the Zoo Park in Windhoek. I was on the farm at the time and had made arrangements as to my monthly payment. As agreed, I came from the farm and paid my outstanding rent and prepaid for two months.
The owner in the meantime decided to cancel the lease agreement with all tenants and change the building into office space. They thus gave all tenants two months notice to leave. I had paid a deposit so knew that I still had sufficient funds with the agent till the end of the period.
But the renting company wanted to get rid of all the tenants and make sure they were gone. So the estate agent "forgot" to enter my late payment and had their lawyers prepare a judgement. As you can imagine, I was very shocked to have the Sheriff of the Court appear at my door to throw me out. The worst part is that the Sheriff took my furniture even though the outstanding amount on the account had been paid.
Of course, there was nothing I could do. The lawyer for the company was also a Director of the same company and would not listen to any explanation.
Once the sheriff had sold my furniture, the lawyer had the audacity to let me know there was a shortfall on the outstanding account.
I called the lawyer and estate agent and explained that they were using a wrong account and the estate agent still owed me my deposit - which was more than any outstanding amount.
They promised to come back to me. Yeah right, almost a year later and still no response.
So what can you do before the law is in place?
You should write down the events that took place and make copies of all correspondence between yourself and the landlord. Once you have completed a written explanation, send this to the Estate Agents Board of Namibia. This is a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for making sure these landlords and estate agents comply with the law.
Now you might wonder why I did not follow this advice. The Sheriff of the Court under instructions of the agent had taken all my furniture including my computer equipment, thrown all my belongings on to the street. Poof, all my documentation and proofs of payment were gone.
Interview with Milton Louw on the above issues:
1. Does Namibia have a Consumer Protection Act?
No. However, the Namibian consumer is protected by various other laws, mostly industry specific such as in banking, insurance, medical, etc.
2. Is there plans to table such a law in parliament?
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has been talking to various role-players such as business, statutory bodies, consumer groups, etc on what form the law should take. Their "primary considerations were that Namibian consumers were experiencing unscrupulous and unfair trading practices, and that existing avenues to obtain redress are inadequate or completely absent." A workshop on this topic was held in September 2009 and the Ministry of Justice was requested to prepare a draft law. We have not had any more feedback since March this year.
3. What are the issues you would like to be put into the law? You referred in your email newsletter and on the Internet to issues with people hiring house and flats?
A Namibian Consumer Protection Act should specifically target unfair discrimination and enforce the right of equality in the consumer market. The Act must put the onus on the landlord to prove that he is not discriminating in any way against a tenant on the basis of things like race, gender, nationality, and even income.
4. How will this affect the complaints about high rentals in Namibia
We believe amongst others that the new Act should allow for automatic renewal of the rental agreement. This will prevent landlords from using this as an excuse to terminate when the tenant wishes to stay. At present many agents and landlords are using the end of the year contract to get rid of tenants so they can increase the rent amount for the next person. Normally the rent will only go up by around ten percent, and the landlords are pushing up the prices to the new tenants by a lot more.
5. What about landlords or estate agents throwing out people on to the street
we propose that the Consumer protection Act must include the right to fair and honest dealings. “No physical force, coercion, undue influence, pressure, duress or harassment may be employed to evict a tenant or compel them to sign a lease."
6. What can a consumer do if they feel unfairly treated by an estate agent?
The Estate Agents Board is under the Ministry of Trade and Industry with the mandate to regulate and control certain activities of estate agents in the public interest. They can be contacted about any complaint and they have specific procedures to deal with complaints.
In addition, we believe the new Act should allow for automatic renewal of the rental agreement. This will prevent landlords from using this as an excuse to terminate when the tenant wishes to stay. At present many agents and landlords are using the end of the year contract to get rid of tenants so they can increase the rent amount for the next person. Normally the rent will only go up by around ten percent, and the landlords are pushing up the prices to the new tenants by a lot more.
Lastly, we propose that the Consumer protection Act must include the right to fair and honest dealings. “No physical force, coercion, undue influence, pressure, duress or harassment may be employed to evict a tenant or compel them to sign a lease."
As an example, I quote from personal experience.
Last year, I was a renting near to the Zoo Park in Windhoek. I was on the farm at the time and had made arrangements as to my monthly payment. As agreed, I came from the farm and paid my outstanding rent and prepaid for two months.
The owner in the meantime decided to cancel the lease agreement with all tenants and change the building into office space. They thus gave all tenants two months notice to leave. I had paid a deposit so knew that I still had sufficient funds with the agent till the end of the period.
But the renting company wanted to get rid of all the tenants and make sure they were gone. So the estate agent "forgot" to enter my late payment and had their lawyers prepare a judgement. As you can imagine, I was very shocked to have the Sheriff of the Court appear at my door to throw me out. The worst part is that the Sheriff took my furniture even though the outstanding amount on the account had been paid.
Of course, there was nothing I could do. The lawyer for the company was also a Director of the same company and would not listen to any explanation.
Once the sheriff had sold my furniture, the lawyer had the audacity to let me know there was a shortfall on the outstanding account.
I called the lawyer and estate agent and explained that they were using a wrong account and the estate agent still owed me my deposit - which was more than any outstanding amount.
They promised to come back to me. Yeah right, almost a year later and still no response.
So what can you do before the law is in place?
You should write down the events that took place and make copies of all correspondence between yourself and the landlord. Once you have completed a written explanation, send this to the Estate Agents Board of Namibia. This is a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for making sure these landlords and estate agents comply with the law.
Now you might wonder why I did not follow this advice. The Sheriff of the Court under instructions of the agent had taken all my furniture including my computer equipment, thrown all my belongings on to the street. Poof, all my documentation and proofs of payment were gone.
Interview with Milton Louw on the above issues:
1. Does Namibia have a Consumer Protection Act?
No. However, the Namibian consumer is protected by various other laws, mostly industry specific such as in banking, insurance, medical, etc.
2. Is there plans to table such a law in parliament?
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has been talking to various role-players such as business, statutory bodies, consumer groups, etc on what form the law should take. Their "primary considerations were that Namibian consumers were experiencing unscrupulous and unfair trading practices, and that existing avenues to obtain redress are inadequate or completely absent." A workshop on this topic was held in September 2009 and the Ministry of Justice was requested to prepare a draft law. We have not had any more feedback since March this year.
3. What are the issues you would like to be put into the law? You referred in your email newsletter and on the Internet to issues with people hiring house and flats?
A Namibian Consumer Protection Act should specifically target unfair discrimination and enforce the right of equality in the consumer market. The Act must put the onus on the landlord to prove that he is not discriminating in any way against a tenant on the basis of things like race, gender, nationality, and even income.
4. How will this affect the complaints about high rentals in Namibia
We believe amongst others that the new Act should allow for automatic renewal of the rental agreement. This will prevent landlords from using this as an excuse to terminate when the tenant wishes to stay. At present many agents and landlords are using the end of the year contract to get rid of tenants so they can increase the rent amount for the next person. Normally the rent will only go up by around ten percent, and the landlords are pushing up the prices to the new tenants by a lot more.
5. What about landlords or estate agents throwing out people on to the street
we propose that the Consumer protection Act must include the right to fair and honest dealings. “No physical force, coercion, undue influence, pressure, duress or harassment may be employed to evict a tenant or compel them to sign a lease."
6. What can a consumer do if they feel unfairly treated by an estate agent?
The Estate Agents Board is under the Ministry of Trade and Industry with the mandate to regulate and control certain activities of estate agents in the public interest. They can be contacted about any complaint and they have specific procedures to deal with complaints.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Are Namibian coloureds a distinct cultural/indigenous group?
According to wikipedia:
A contemporary working definition of "indigenous people" for certain purposes has criteria which would seek to include cultural groups either:
* before or its subsequent colonisation or annexation; or
* alongside other cultural groups during the formation and/or reign of a colony or nation-state;
and who furthermore
* have maintained at least in part their distinct cultural, social/organisational, and/or linguistic characteristics, and in doing so remain differentiated in some degree from the surrounding populations and dominant culture of the nation-state.
To the above, a criterion is usually added to also include:
* peoples who are self-identified as indigenous, and/or those recognized as such by other groups.
A contemporary working definition of "indigenous people" for certain purposes has criteria which would seek to include cultural groups either:
* before or its subsequent colonisation or annexation; or
* alongside other cultural groups during the formation and/or reign of a colony or nation-state;
and who furthermore
* have maintained at least in part their distinct cultural, social/organisational, and/or linguistic characteristics, and in doing so remain differentiated in some degree from the surrounding populations and dominant culture of the nation-state.
To the above, a criterion is usually added to also include:
* peoples who are self-identified as indigenous, and/or those recognized as such by other groups.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Panarotti's Thursday eat all you can
Took my daughters out for a birthday celebration last night and they ganged up on me and wanted to go to Panarotti's for "Eat all you can Thursday". Well, we got there past seven and waited for almost an hour and a half for a table (we were 9 people in total). I did not mind the wait, but when we sat down we were informed the special only went till 9 'clock.
Whoaw. I can eat as I like in half an hour. Nowhere in the advertising does it state it stops at 21H00. Especially after waiting so long.
But would you believe it! the waiter arranged that we can pay the special price, and arranged at least five bottomless pizza (including a seafood) for the same price.
I am not sure if it is because I have five daughters, or this is the normal service.
So from my side, congratulations to Panarotti's Windhoek for good food and EXCELLENT service.
I hope we all get such service elsewhere this weekend.
"Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy."
Whoaw. I can eat as I like in half an hour. Nowhere in the advertising does it state it stops at 21H00. Especially after waiting so long.
But would you believe it! the waiter arranged that we can pay the special price, and arranged at least five bottomless pizza (including a seafood) for the same price.
I am not sure if it is because I have five daughters, or this is the normal service.
So from my side, congratulations to Panarotti's Windhoek for good food and EXCELLENT service.
I hope we all get such service elsewhere this weekend.
"Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy."
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