NMP’s Job Registration Drive has Received over 4,000 Registrations

Namibian Marine Phosphate (Pty) Limited (“NMP”) is pleased to advise that the Job Registration Drive (“Drive”) has received over 4,000 registrations in the first two weeks.

NMP is both encouraged and appreciative of the overwhelming response and remains committed to moving forward with the development of the Sandpiper Marine Phosphate Project (“Sandpiper Project”) in Walvis Bay, assuming a favorable judgment on the legal action taken by three fishing associations (CNFA, Hake, Midwater) and a commercial fishing company, Omualu Fishing (Pty) Ltd, and the granting of the Environmental Clearance Certificate (“ECC”).

NMP thanks all registrants for their keen interest in the 600 future jobs anticipated for the Sandpiper Project development. The Job Registration Drive remains open till 30th November 2020.

Next Steps in the Job Registration Process

Over 4,000 registrants have registered via email, SMS, and an online platform, and the initial statistics from the Drive indicate the following:

Total Registrations

4097

Unemployed

Gender

Qualifications

73%

39% – Female 61% – Male

30% school 24% university 22% trade cert.

44% for over 1 year,

44% aged 25-34

The next steps for the Drive are to implement a series of information workshops to provide registrants with details about the Sandpiper Project’s technical, environmental, and development aspects along with the related job opportunities. In the interim, NMP will be in contact will all registrants to keep them up to date on the progress of the Drive, for which the proposed timeframes are set out below:

Registrations

Information

Invitations to

Workshops Commence:

Close:

Collation:

Workshops:

Phosphate and the Ministry of Mines and Energy Approval

Since the early 2000s, the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy (“MME”) has encouraged local and international investment and given their tacit approval for the exploration and mining of marine deposits for industrial minerals (including phosphate). The MME has granted a number of offshore Exclusive Prospecting Licenses (“EPL’s”) and Mining Licenses (“ML’s”) for industrial minerals, a requirement of which has always been conditional on obtaining the necessary environmental clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (“MEFT”) before commencement of operations.

Decisions on Environment to be Based on Science and Evidence

NMP fully supports that relevant scientific and evidence-based decision-making is of fundamental and critical importance in the environmental assessment and approval process. The decision to approve and issue an ECC for any mining project rests with the Environmental Commissioner (“EC”) and the Minister, MEFT.

Scientific Data Supports Co-Existence of Marine Phosphate Mining and Commercial Fishing

NMP’s comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) and supporting specialist studies and expert opinion show that phosphate mining and fishing can co-exist and the project will have no significant impact on the Benguela marine environment or ecosystem.

In accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Management Act (2007), NMP has spent over N$20.0m in completing an extensive environmental study including but not limited to the following, all of which are available at the Office of the Environmental Commissioner and on the NMP website:

• Environmental Impact Assessment,
• Verification Study,
• Environmental Management Plan and
• 28 independent Specialist Scientific Studies NMP is confident that it has provided the EC and MEFT with what has been described as one of the most comprehensive sets of specialist EIA studies ever completed in the project area and the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem. This comprehensive body of scientific data, analyses, and expert opinions has been submitted to the EC and MEFT to enable an informed and science-based assessment and decision to be made regarding the application for the Sandpiper Project’s ECC. NMP and its shareholders remain convinced that the expert opinions presented scientifically substantiate and support that marine phosphate mining and fishing can co-exist alongside the other ocean-based industries operating in the Namibian marine environment, including those related to marine diamond mining, shipping, tourism, conservation, and military requirements. Looking Ahead NMP and its shareholders would like to thank all registrants in the Job Registration Drive for their interest in the Sandpiper Project and the job opportunities that will be become available once the legal challenge is overcome and the project permitting is completed. NMP remains fully committed to the responsible commercial, social, and environmental development of the Sandpiper Project for the benefit of all stakeholders and Namibians at large. ### NMP Management More information is available at NMP’s website and Facebook 7 Auob Street, Meersig, Walvis Bay, Private Bag 5018 Tel: +264 64 278150 Fax: +264 64 200290 E-mail: info@namphos.com