Live cattle exports to be stopped

Namibia will soon impose a quota system on the number of cattle exported on the hoof as part of a wider strategy to boost value addition of the country’s natural resources products, President Hifikepunye Pohamba has said.
In his State of the Nation Address in Parliament  on Wednesday, Pohamba said the government has adopted the “Growth at Home” approach in order to boost value addition to the country’s natural resources. The new approach will see the development of value chains in the different sectors of the local economy.
Pohamba said: “.. we aim to reduce the export of livestock on the hoof. Instead, finished meat, leather and related products should be produced locally. The same should happen in mining and fishing sectors, as important pillars of our economy. These industries have historically demonstrated their potential to create jobs and contribute to economic growth. They must be developed further to benefit our people.”
It was not immediately clear when this new policy will be put in place and what impact it will have on the farming community. Latest statistics from the Meat Board show that exports of live cattle to South Africa decreased by 33.85% from 200,236 livestock units exported in 2011to 132,449 livestock units marketed in 2012 while a total of 2000 cattle units were exported to Angola predominantly from the Northern Communal Areas, specifically in the Opuwo district.
Pohamba’s address comes at a time that the government intends to introduce export levies on unprocessed raw materials. The export levies are set to be introduced later in the year despite a spirited resistance particularly from the Chamber of Mines since the levies were first announced in 2011.
The Chamber of Mines is of the opinion that the profitability of large mining companies is  challenged owing to the “short-sightedness of the Ministry of Finance. The chamber president, Mark Dawe is on record saying the ministry keeps on trying to improve its revenue flow by taxing an industry that is already over-taxed.