Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Winnie Moongo questions the government’s measures to protect consumers from high prices.
The affordability of basic food came under scrutiny in the National Assembly on Wednesday, with Moongo set to ask international relations and trade minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi on Thursday what strategies are in place to prevent Namibians from being subjected to unjustifiably high prices for essential food items.
She wants to know how the government monitors pricing practices across the food supply chain and what criteria it uses to determine whether prices are reasonable, excessive or potentially unfair to consumers.
“Significant price differences sometimes occur for the same essential food products between retailers and regions,” Moongo says, asking what actions are being taken when such differences cannot be justified.
She says rising food prices are particularly concerning for low-income and vulnerable households whose incomes do not always keep pace with the cost of basic necessities.
Moongo is also seeking information on how frequently prices are monitored from producers and importers to wholesalers and retailers, and how the information collected is acted upon.
She wants the minister to explain what the government is doing to strengthen competition in the food retail market and prevent market concentration or anti-competitive practices from contributing to higher prices.
Moongo further wants the government to identify essential food products that recorded the largest price increases during 2026, the factors behind those increases and the interventions being taken to address them.
