01 Sep 2019
The ACEN News Circular for September 2019 highlights key developments, initiatives, and updates aimed at strengthening the consulting engineering industry and supporting ACEN members.
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General and Membership Updates:
- Council for the next term includes President Derrick Langford, Vice-President Frikkie Holtzhausen, Treasurer Martin van der Merwe, and Council Members Estee Cuff, Josef Ndapoita, and Janus van der Merwe.
- Office hours are 8:00–13:00, Monday to Friday.
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Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN):
- Efforts to increase the hourly tariff continue, with ECN preparing a new submission to the Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT).
- The draft Engineering Act proposes that consulting engineering companies register with ECN, though the current council recommends otherwise.
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Department of Works (DoW):
- Discussions include training on the Public Procurement Act, the possibility of a uniform fee claim format, and VAT application on professional fees.
- ACEN is engaging with MWT for updates on these matters.
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Procurement Act:
- ACEN representatives on the Procurement Sub-Committee are coordinating with the Procurement Policy Unit to address issues related to contractual agreements and terms of reference.
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Contractual Documentation – PROCSA:
- The ACEN Executive Committee is integrating the recommended Fee Scale Model into the PROCSA suite of agreements.
- ACEN will promote and sell PROCSA documents, earning a 10% commission for each sale.
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Membership Awareness Strategy:
- ACEN has distributed letters to regional councils, promoting member firms and highlighting the value of engaging registered ACEN members for projects.
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Internship Incentive Program:
- A proposed incentive for member firms hosting interns has been temporarily paused until the 2020/21 financial year.
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Workshops, Courses, and Projects:
- An ACEN representative attended the NSFAF Consultative Workshop on addressing shortages in the engineering employment field.
- ACEN supports a workshop organized by NUST and Bergische Universität Wuppertal on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Augmented Reality to introduce emerging technologies in Namibia.
Description:
The September 2019 newsletter emphasizes ACEN’s commitment to promoting professionalism and collaboration within the consulting engineering sector. Key initiatives include updates on contractual documentation, efforts to enhance procurement processes, and advocacy for training and development. The newsletter also highlights ACEN’s focus on raising awareness of its member firms and exploring emerging technologies to advance the industry.
