1. Annual General Meeting
11 August 2017

2. Coffee/Tea break & Exhibitors connections
07:30
Registration & Coffee / Tea
08:00
Opening & Welcoming
Mr. Isak Katali
08:10
Annual Report
Mr. Pieter Potgieter
08:25
Steering Committee report
Mr. Michael Dege
08:45
Labour Issues
Mr. Willem Enslin
09:00
Finance & Budget
Mr. Danie van Vuuren
09:15
Guest Speaker
Mr. Sakkie Coetzee
09:30
Closure of Meeting
Coffee/Tea break & Exhibitors connections

3. Annual report Mr. Pieter Potgieter For the period 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2017
NCA Management:
The NCA hosted a very successful AGM and conference last year on 12 August 2016 at Otjiwa Safari Lodge. The following new Directors were appointed for a two-year term to manage the affairs of the association:
Mr. Maans Robberts Outjo (Processor)
Mr. Michael von Hacht Otjiwarongo (Processor)
Ms. Dea Justus Otjiwarongo (Producer)
Mr. Gunther Schwalm Otavi (Producer)

4. Mr. Isak Katali Otavi (Producer)
Mr. Willem Enslin Grootfontein (Producer)
Mr. Ian Galloway Okahandja (Processor)
Mr. Pieter Potgieter NCA Manager (Ex officio)
Mr. Danie van Vuuren NAU Representative (Ex officio)
Five Management meetings were held at the Otjiwarongo office during the past year.
At the first meeting held on 7 September 2016, Mr. Isak Katali was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of the NCA.

5. Labour Matters:
There are currently a lot of non- Namibians, mostly Angolans, employed in the charcoal industry as the industry is unable to secure enough Namibian Workers.
Although these workers have Namibian Voters cards, the Namibian Police have arrest some of these workers as illegal immigrants.
The possibility of work permits for these non-Namibian workers in the charcoal industry had been taken up with the Minister of Home Affairs.

6. This resulted in Mr. Katali and Mr
This resulted in Mr. Katali and Mr. Van Vuuren’s invitation to a Ministerial Committee meeting on the matter in Windhoek on 3 August 2017 which was attended by Ministers, Deputy Ministers and some PS’s of different ministries.
The meeting agreed on the importance of the charcoal industry to contribute towards economic growth and job creation for the country. Further deliberations will be conducted to come up with specific proposals on how to cater for this problem.
No arrests of Angolan workers have been reported during the past months.

7. Finances:
An increase in levies to N$ per ton was approved at the AGM and implemented with effect from 1 September 2016.
The NAU managed the financial affairs of the NCA up to 28 February 2017 where after the function was transferred to the NCA office at Otjiwarongo.
A new NCA bank account was opened at Otjiwarongo for this purpose and the NCA appointed book keepers to assist with the financial reports.

8. Membership:
Almost all the Namibian Charcoal Processors have joined the NCA and are paying monthly levies deducted from producers over to the NCA.
The membership of the NCA has increased to 490 members whilst the tons of charcoal on which the NCA receives levies increased to an average of 7300 tons per month.
The Manager of the NCA embarked on a visit to the RSA which was sponsored by the Ministry of Trade and Industry from 26 July to 4 August 2017.
The purpose was to visit some SA Charcoal Buyers to convince them to join the NCA.

9. GIZ Financial Support:
The GIZ financial support for the NCA continued through the reporting period and amounted to a total of N$ 1,941,000 that was committed and spent on the following projects up to December 2017:
Salary support for fulltime NCA employees up to March 2017
NCA Office furniture & equipment
Branding of the NCA and new Web page
Support with subsistence and travelling expenses
Support for the 2016 and 2017 NCA Conferences
Pilot project for Improved Charcoal Production

10. Employees of the NCA:
The idea was that GIZ support the NCA in the first year with the salaries of the two positions where after the NCA should be in a position to bear the expenses themselves.
As the NCA finances at this stage are not enough for both the salaries of the Administrator and a full-time manager, the Board of Directors took the following decision:
“That the NCA pay the salary of the Administrator as from 1 April 2017, but that the

11. Manager still be paid from the GIZ project
Manager still be paid from the GIZ project.” A new employment contract has been negotiated and signed with the NCA Manager, Mr Potgieter.
As I am not living in Otjiwarongo anymore, I will still represent the NCA at forums from time to time, but I will not be working full time at the office anymore.

12. SDG – FSC Charcoal Standard:
It was reported that the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) standards are not suitable for the Namibians. Namibia should re-write its own Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and a team of 6 persons were nominated to serve on the committee for this purpose.
The FSC sponsored US$ whilst another N$ will be needed from the GIZ for this project that will be conducted in 2018.

13. Directorate of Forestry:
Problems with the Directorate of Forestry of not issuing harvesting permits in access of 500 cubic metres of forest produce had been sorted out after a visit by the NCA to the Director of Forestry.
A workshop hosted by the LAC to discuss possible changes to the Forest Act and regulations in order to make it more conducive to promote and upscale de-bushing and charcoal production had been attended by the NCA management.

14. Despite the good undertakings at the meeting, the Ministry has launched a booklet on de-bushing procedures without the agreed changes.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism wants to implement for bush harvesting for areas greater than 15 hectares per annum would be unaffordable for charcoal producers.
The Directors took a decision that the NCA should be pro-active and engage with the Director of Forestry and the Environmental Commissioner on the issue to find solutions before these draconic measures are implemented.

15. Retort Charcoal Kiln project:
This GIZ funded project conducted by the consultants Dagmar Honsbein and Jürgen Redecker had just been completed and feedback will be given by Dagmar Honsbein at the conference which will be followed by a practical retort demonstration.

16. General Matters:
Registration of the NCA as a non-profitable section 21 company is still pending.
The delay was caused by the Registration Authorities who did not approve our name as there are apparently already registered companies with names very similar.
Other names were then proposed to the Authorities for the section 21 company although the NCA will still trade as the “Namibia Charcoal Association”

17. A new NCA web page was designed by consultants and implemented during the past year.
The NCA directors decided on bringing out a quarterly NCA Newsletter in order to communicate charcoal affairs to its members.
The first newsletter was sent out by the office on 26 May 2017 and the second one will be sent out at the end of August 2017.

18. The NCA directors decided that braai wood producers and –processors may also become members of the NCA, provided that they pay the same levies per ton as for charcoal.
The NCA office received several complaints from members and non-members about late payments by processors or buyers not delivering charcoal being paid for.
The office also assisted with the selling of charcoal by linking producers and buyers with each other.

19. Conclusion:
The NCA management and staff want to thank all the members for their loyal support and contributions throughout the year.
Much has been achieved during the past year and together we will tackle all the challenges facing the industry in the following year.

20. Labour Issues Mr. Willem Enslin
STATUS CHARCOAL BURNERS
Intensive and extended negotiations between NCPA, Farm Workers Union and Ministry of Labour
AEA Pieter de Beer advised permanent worker status due to lack of full protection
Two consecutive members meetings approved and mandated signing of agreement
Signing of agreement- charcoal workers be remunerated according to production and not hours worked
No sole bargaining status

21. 12 April 2012 labour law amendment art 128 a charcoal worker an employee and not an independent contractor when:
Services to only one producer at a time
More than 20 hours over three month period
Dependent on producer for lively hood
Using producers equipment
Integral part of producers production capacity
Controlled and administered by producer

22. Producers not accepting agreement automatically under labour law with hourly wages, paid leave and overtime
Agreement 42/ 43 % of selling price per ton charcoal, including leave and overtime
Producer employing independent contractors will eventually not be able to qualify for FSC and with that end up without a market in times of overproduction
Employing burners as independent contractors threatens Namibian markets

23. Social Security and Workman’s compensation
Cost of injury versus Social Security and workman compensation
Different code at lower workman compensation tariff
Even seasonal workers must be registered according to the law

24. Finance & Budget Mr. Danie van Vuuren
Budget for the financial year 1 March Feb 2019
March - June 2017
12 months
2018/19
Income
Actual
Projection
Budget
Levies/membership fees
294,068.58
735,171.45
900,000.00
Conference Registration Fees
20,000.00
Website & Window adverts
6,000.00
9,000.00
10,000.00
Office rent
9,315.00
46,643.00
60,000.00
Interest received
600.00
1,800.00
5,200.00
Total Income
309,983.58
812,614.45
995,200.00

25. Expenses
Annual
Office Rent
27,945.00
83,835.00
90,540.00
Accounting Fees
25,000.00
27,600.00
Advertising
7,541.00
5,000.00
Bank Charges
1,976.09
5,928.27
6,000.00
Computer & Internet lines
3,900.00
11,700.00
12,000.00
Office Furniture & Renov
23,181.63
15,000.00
Cleaning material
718.60
2,155.80
2,500.00
Refreshments
4,052.78
12,158.34
13,500.00
Consumable
2,283.85
6,851.55
7,500.00

26. Directors Daily allowance
5,000.00
20,000.00
Electricity & Water
1,565.02
4,695.06
5,400.00
Printing & Stationary
3,355.45
10,066.35
11,000.00
Domain Renewal/Aff fees
7,779.35
37,779.00
40,000.00
Rent Equipment -
1,000.00
Office Security
901.63
3,670.80
4,000.00
Salary & Wages
Salary - Manager
30,000.00
46,500.00
48,000.00
Salary - Cleaner
3,920.00
12,740.00
14,625.00

27. Salary - Administrator
80,000.00
260,000.00
325,000.00
Salary - Receptionist
36,000.00
60,000.00
S & T Directors (meetings)
29,171.03
87,513.09
90,000.00
S&T Manager -
12,000.00
50,000.00
Social Security Commission
676.80
2,030.40
2,125.00
Staff Training
14,025.00
10,000.00

28. AGM & Conference expenses-
20,000.00
80,000.00
Telecom cost
11,093.39
33,280.17
35,000.00
Insurance
1,289.72
3,158.88
3,500.00
260,376.34
767,810.34
979,290.00
Total Income
812,614.45
995,200.00
Less Total Expenses
Operational Profit/(Loss)
44,804.11
15,910.00

30. Thank you
See you next year
10 August 2018