WINDHOEK, July 24 — Namibia is developing a legal and regulatory framework for the peaceful use of nuclear energy as part of efforts to diversify its energy mix and strengthen long-term energy security, the country’s foreign minister said Friday.
Speaking during a mid-year diplomatic briefing in Windhoek, Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi said the government is preparing legislation to regulate the sector in line with international standards on nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation.
“As part of Namibia’s long-term strategy to diversify its national energy mix and strengthen energy security, we continue to explore the development of nuclear energy for peaceful use,” she said.
The announcement comes as Namibia, one of the world’s leading uranium producers, seeks to diversify its energy mix to support industrialization and sustain long-term economic growth.
Ashipala-Musavyi also said that the government has replaced year-round applications with two annual submission windows, from April 1 to May 31 and from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, to improve administrative efficiency and streamline the licensing process.
Beyond nuclear energy, Namibia is also pursuing comprehensive reforms of its petroleum sector to strengthen regulation, enhance transparency and accountability, and ensure the country derives greater long-term benefits from its emerging oil industry, the minister said.
The reforms are intended to create a modern, predictable and competitive regulatory environment for investors while ensuring that Namibians receive greater benefits from the sector, she added.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
