IPC questions PAMA’s establishment  

By: Josia Shigwedha  

The Independent Patriots for Change says the establishment of the Public Assets Management Agency of Namibia, PAMA, will duplicate existing government functions and increase personnel costs.  

IPC Shadow Minister Nelson Kalangula was responding to Cabinet’s recent approval to establish the agency, whose mandate is to strengthen management of the country’s N$47.4 billion commercial public assets.  

Kalangula told NewsOnOne the parastatal’s creation will further add to the government’s financial burden. 

In October 2025, line minister Veikko Nekundi told the National Assembly that government had 9 640 immovable assets.   

He said government is working on establishing an asset register and improve its oversight of state-owned property.  

“We see it as a duplication of functions because there are already people that cost taxpayers money in terms of personnel expenditure in respect of salary that they are paid for to manage the state assets.

But here we are again creating another entity that would possibly require a CEO and executives that will get exorbitant salaries. Now, there’s a danger in that because we already have fixed assets under local authorities. We have fixed assets under various ministries that belong to the state.

Now, how will they incorporate that in Parma?,” questioned Kalangula.

Kalangula said government should capacitate the existing departments responsible for immovable assets to ensure efficient property management.  

“I mean, if we commercialize everything, what will it be? And what will we talk about institutions that or properties that belong to the state, such as schools and such as hospitals? We can’t commercialize those. And as it stands, we don’t know the mandate of Parma.

They haven’t made it clear. But I think they need to make it clear in that regard to make sure what is the act and mandate behind that and what will be driving it. Is it not a duplication of function?  Those are the things that we need to find out,” said Kalangula.

By the time of going to air, NewsOnOne was still waiting for both Nekundi, and PAMA to comment. 

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