The Chamber of Mines of Namibia has raised concerns over provisions contained in the proposed Namibia Investment Promotion Bill, warning that parts of the legislation could create regulatory duplication and additional approval burdens for mining investments.
Chamber President George Botshiwe said the organisation participated in stakeholder consultations on the bill in November 2025, during which it raised concerns over discretionary ministerial powers and overlapping approval processes affecting the mining sector.
The bill seeks to establish the Namibia Investment Promotion Agency within the Ministry of International Relations and Trade and replace previous investment promotion legislation.
Botshiwe said that while some improvements had been made to address earlier private sector concerns, significant issues remain unresolved for the mining industry.
“Of concern is the retention of broad discretionary powers granted to the Minister of International Relations and Trade for sectors classified as strategic and the introduction of additional approval processes that may duplicate or overlap with existing regulatory frameworks under the Minerals Act and the Competition Act,” Botshiwe said.
He said the Chamber identified risks including double approvals for mining investments, approval periods of up to 90 days, additional conditions through performance agreements, and overlap with the role of the Namibian Competition Commission in mergers and acquisitions.
Botshiwe said the Chamber formally raised concerns around policy coherence, investment competitiveness and regulatory duplication during the consultation process.
“The Chamber formally raised these concerns during the consultation process, emphasising the importance of avoiding regulatory duplication, ensuring policy coherence, and safeguarding Namibia’s investment competitiveness,” Botshiwe said.
He said technical officials acknowledged several of the concerns raised and indicated that aspects of the bill, including approval timelines, would be reviewed.
Botshiwe added that officials clarified that performance agreements applicable to mining projects would align with existing mining licence conditions and would be undertaken in consultation with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.
The Chamber has also initiated separate engagements with MIRT regarding possible exemptions for mining investments from certain provisions of the bill.
“In parallel, the Chamber initiated engagements with MIRT to explore the possibility of a blanket exemption for mining investments from certain provisions of the Bill and raised specific concerns on the Bill, recognising the sector’s existing, well-established regulatory regime,” Botshiwe said.
The Namibia Investment Promotion Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament in June 2026.
