Members of parliament were last week summoned by the minister in the Office of the Presidency, Christine ||Hoebes, cautioning them not to politicise green hydrogen for the sake of popularity, particularly in the face of the current economic climate.
||Hoebes told the parliamentarians that this is not the time to play cheap politics.
||Hoebes was responding to a motion by Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Henny Seibeb, who in the National Assembly (NA) questioned the project’s pace and the lack of parliamentary consultation.
“The allegations, which I label as misleading and selfish to a misguided political ambition, that the project is shrouded in secrecy, given the above in-depth and
elaborate consultation between the head of State and green hydrogen council, is unfounded and must be dismissed as a political cheap point scoring exercise, fathomed in their political philosophy of casting this caring government as failing the nation,” ||Hoebes said last week.
Meanwhile, Seibeb in his motion questioned how the GH council expects to introduce a synthetic fuel bill and to promulgate the legislation when parliamentarians, specifically relevant
clusters on economic affairs and natural resources, have not been properly engaged or informed.
“Our understanding is that the feasibility and implementation agreement (FIA) states that the government may be held liable if the legislative frameworks are not in a place that can hinder Hyphen’s operations. To always avoid committing errors, learn to discuss all national programmes and initiatives in parliament.
It is a national priority that demands lawmakers to craft a mutually beneficial scenario for the deployment of clean hydrogen as a thriving industry,” urged Seibeb at the time.
The LPM lawmaker was referring specifically to the government’s agreement with Hyphen Energy, the preferred bidder for Namibia’s US$10 billion green hydrogen project.
Furthermore, ||Hoebes said under the economic advancement pillar, government aimed to strengthen the stewardship of the country’s natural resources, enhance the productivity of key sectors, and develop complementary engines of growth that would ultimately result in new employment opportunities and macro-economic sustainability.
In the NA, Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security minister Albert Kawana appealed to all Namibians to let the project roll-out, stating that it is indeed a national project.
“Let us not politicise the project. It is intended to benefit our people. It will assist and benefit our youth through scholarships as put out,” said Kawana.
Meanwhile, Seibeb’s motion was referred to a relevant parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.