WINDHOEK, Aug. 15 — Namibia plans to table a Data Protection Bill in September and introduce legally recognized electronic signatures next February as part of efforts to combat financial crime and strengthen the country’s digital economy, Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus said Thursday.
Speaking at the Standard Bank Anti-Financial Crime Conference 2025 in Windhoek, Theofelus said the Data Protection Bill would safeguard personal data, enhance privacy, and create a secure environment for digital transactions, aligning Namibia with international standards.
“The bill will also build public trust in digital platforms, support innovation, and provide clear rules for the ethical use of data,” she said.
Under the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019, electronic signatures will have the same legal status as handwritten ones, she said, adding that this measure will help reduce forgery, improve transaction traceability, and promote financial inclusion by enabling secure, remote business and government service access.
Financial crime is a development challenge, Theofelus said, citing figures from the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) showing that in the past year, over 96.9 million Namibian dollars (about 5.5 million U.S. dollars) in suspected illicit proceeds were frozen, and nearly 80 million Namibian dollars were preserved in the High Court.
The FIC supported 148 investigations, identifying 50 victims and 128 persons of interest, while the Namibia Revenue Agency collected 2.7 million Namibian dollars from tax assessments totaling 47 million Namibian dollars, she said.
The minister also highlighted the government’s recent artificial intelligence readiness assessment, saying laws and policies will be developed to create an enabling environment for AI while safeguarding citizens.
Furthermore, she called for a coordinated approach involving government, financial institutions, law enforcement, civil society, academia, and the media to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability in the fight against financial crime. (Xinhua)
