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POVERTY, ENERGY & GENDER

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OFFICIAL WELCOME BY HONOURABLE JESAYA NYAMU, MINISTER OF MINES AND ENERGY MINISTRY OF MINES AND ENERGY Tel: (061) 284 811 Fax: (061) 238 643 Private Bag 13297, Windhoek

Dear Honourable Deputy Minister Richard Kamwi Dear Honourable Deputy Minister Marlene Mungunda Delegates from the SADC Region and Beyond Ladies and Gentlemen On behalf of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, it is a great pleasure to welcome you here today to this regional seminar on “poverty, energy and gender” My first reaction to seeing the title for this seminar was that it covers a very area of topics. In fact, it is too wide to be covered adequately in only 2 days. But then I saw the similarities, the correlations emerge and it became obvious that poverty, energy and gender are intertwined and that the one addresses the other, that there are cross cutting-issues and to ignore them would surely be a great mistake. In my experience as a Minister of Mines and Energy I have often noted how many issues are treated in isolation. That we often focus too much on minor detail and forget the big picture. In view of this, please be assured that the title and intention of this regional seminar carries my full support. With great enthusiasm I also greet Deputy Minister Kamwi and Deputy Minister Mungunda and note how they too support this event. This clearly demonstrates that inter-ministerial cooperation is indispensable when tackling greater national objectives and that our ministries are very well aware of that. My thanks are also extended to the organizers of this regional seminar namely: The Southern Africa Regional Poverty Network for their vision and initiative Emcon Consulting Group for making its expertise available and Namibia’s Energy Information Network for getting you all here! You are the cement between the bricks! Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Windhoek, and indeed Namibia, welcome to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. I herewith declare this seminar officially open. I Thank You.