Aviation problems are being sorted out in Namibia?
Aviation problems are being sorted out
BRIGITTE WEIDLICH
THE public and the tourism industry should "remain calm while we are sorting out the deficiencies" in the civil aviation industry, Works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula said in Parliament yesterday.
"We remain committed to solemnly solve the problems before the international soccer events in Angola and South Africa."
Both events will take place in 2010.
In a ministerial statement delivered in the National Assembly, Angula referred to a string of serious accidents involving small planes in the past year.
Most of them happened in and around Windhoek - the most recent one claimed one life at the beginning of this month.
"From October 1 we will have a team of experts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) here to assess Namibia's aircraft operations, flight and airworthiness, personnel licensing and aviation operators," Angula promised.
"Our Ministry is working hard to expedite the tabling of the proposed bill on the Namibian Civil Aviation Authority, which is to be set up once signed into law.
We already approached the Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve market-related salary scales for this new body in order to attract well-qualified staff.
"In the same vein, the PSC supported our proposal to offer market-related salary scales to attract skills currently needed in the Directorate of Civil Aviation."
The absence of comprehensive aviation laws since Independence was compromising Namibia's Icao membership, Angula warned.
"We have unfortunately witnessed a number of aircraft disasters with evidence that most of the accidents occurred as a result of (an) unfortunate safety culture," Angula told the House.
He reminded MPs of the 2006 Icao assessment, which showed significant deficiencies in some areas considered crucial for a state's effective oversight of the civil aviation industry.
"A recent assessment (2008) showed that very little progress was made as a result of the Ministry's inability to retain and attract competent and qualified incumbents.
"This resulted in Namibia being categorised down on the recommendation of the Icao Audit Result Review Board.
This can cause our country to be blacklisted unless we demonstrate commitment," Angula said.