The Government still maintains its seven-year-old advertising ban against The Namibian, with a special tender specification preventing this newspaper from bidding for the placement of Government advertisements.

"Cabinet decisions on banned newspapers and agencies shall have bearing on this tender," the conditions and specifications of the tender document spelt out.

This particular condition contravenes the new Competition Act, which has not come into force although it was passed three years ago, because the competition regulations have not been finalised yet.

Despite the restrictive tender conditions, The Namibian again submitted its bid for the tender in January and once again last week, punctually at 14h30, it was the only bidder.

The bidding price was duly read out by the official of the Tender Board and the official also announced that the bidding had closed.

However, at 14h52 an out-of-breath representative of New Era, the Government-owned daily newspaper, arrived trying to submit its documents.

The winning tenderer will be able to place Government advertisements for two years between October 1 2008 and September 31 2010.

The Government-owned newspaper is heavily subsided each year with millions of dollars from taxpayers.

When the previous tender for 2006 to 2008 was advertised, The Namibian was the only paper to tender in time.

New Era was later given the exclusive right to advertise the Tender Board advertisements after tender dates were extended.

Another potential third bidder was prevented from tendering due to a new specification demanding that "the successful tenderer should at least publish three editions within five working days."

The weekly and independent Tender Bulletin, which since 1992 had wholly and uniquely dedicated itself to report on and advertise tenders of both the private and public sector and which previously had won this tender, is excluded by this new specification.

The Government decision to ban advertising in The Namibian was made at a Cabinet meeting in December 2000 and a number of Government ministries were reminded in March 2001 of the need to follow the decision.

A Government circular said at the time that the Cabinet resolution "compels Government ministries, offices and agencies to refrain from advertising in The Namibian newspaper because of its anti-government stance and unwarranted criticism of Government policies."

The ban was extended, prohibiting ministries to buy copies of the newspaper with taxpayers' money.

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