Ester Hakaala
Members of Parliament have expressed mixed views on the proposed Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill 2025, with Deputy Minister of Urban and Rural Development Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele urging for the speedy passage of the Bill, saying it would protect national interests and attract investment.
She said the proposed Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President would centralise licensing and oversight, reduce bureaucratic delays and speed up decisions as Namibia prepares for commercial oil and gas production.
!Nawases-Taeyele said the amendments would strengthen governance, improve investor confidence and introduce anti-corruption safeguards, including annual reporting and asset disclosures by the unit’s leadership.
She added that a National Upstream Petroleum Local Content Policy would promote Namibian businesses, local goods and services, and workforce training.
The Bill seeks to modernise petroleum legislation dating back to 1991.
!Nawases-Taeyele urged lawmakers to support the reforms while balancing national interests with the need to attract international investment.
Ephraim Nekongo
Swapo MP Ephraim Nekongo has backed the Bill, saying it would modernise Namibia’s petroleum framework following major offshore discoveries announced since 2022.
Nekongo said the sector requires specialised expertise, effective coordination and timely decision-making due to its technical and economic complexity.
He supported establishing an Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President, arguing that it would improve coordination across government and strengthen strategic planning.
Nekongo dismissed concerns about unchecked presidential control, saying the unit would operate within the Constitution and existing laws, with decisions subject to court review.
He added that the reforms should promote Namibian participation through employment, skills development, local procurement, technology transfer and enterprise development.
Winnie Moongo opposes
However, Winnie Moongo from the Popular Democratic Party (PDM) opposed the Bill, arguing that it does not modernise governance; it centralises power, weakens checks and balances and reduces financial accountability.
“The minister frames this Bill as a modernisation of the 1991 Act, promising regulatory clarity, technical competence and maximum benefits for Namibians.
I support those goals in principle.
But when we examine the actual text before this House, this Bill does not modernise governance; it centralises power, dismantles checks and balances and dilutes financial accountability,” she said.
Moongo raised concerns over provisions requiring senior officials to declare their assets and corporate interests to the President, arguing that such declarations should be public, independently verified and subject to anti-corruption scrutiny.
She also questioned a proposed change to the requirements for granting royalty remissions, refunds or deferrals to oil companies, saying the reduced role of the Minister of Finance could weaken safeguards over public revenue.
Moongo further called for legally enforceable local content requirements, including clear targets for local procurement, Namibian ownership, skills development and technology transfer.
“Without clear targets, transparent reporting, monitoring and consequences for non-compliance, there is a risk that significant economic activity will take place in Namibia while a disproportionate share of the contracts, expertise, ownership and value remains outside the country,” she said.
Inna Hengari
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Inna Hengari has opposed the Bill in its current form, warning that it could concentrate power in the Presidency without adequate oversight.
Hengari acknowledged the need to modernise petroleum legislation, which dates to 1991, but said reforms must ensure transparency, accountability, and national benefit.
“The President is not the problem. Concentrated power without equally strong public, parliamentary and legal control is the problem,” she said.
She called for stronger parliamentary oversight of petroleum licences, agreements and royalties, as well as measurable local-content requirements to promote skills development, technology transfer and Namibian business participation.
Hengari also stressed the need for independent environmental regulation and meaningful public participation in petroleum development.
She urged the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and a clause-by-clause review of the bill, saying the reforms must include stronger transparency measures, environmental safeguards and mechanisms to ensure petroleum revenues support long-term national development.
Tobie Aupindi
SWAPO MP and chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Tobie Aupindi, has backed it, saying Namibia needs a specialised institution to manage its growing petroleum sector.
Aupindi said the proposed Upstream Petroleum Unit in the Office of the President would provide the expertise needed to manage petroleum resources, protect national interests and ensure long-term economic benefits. He stressed that the unit must operate transparently, professionally and under clear rules, with accountability to Parliament and the public.
Aupindi outlined six principles for the reform, including clear policy direction, professional administration, rules-based decision-making, separation of institutional functions, parliamentary oversight and national benefit.
He also warned against conflicts of interest arising from combining policymaking, regulation and commercial participation.
“The regulator should not become a commercial partner,” he said.
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