Namibia’s role as a gateway to landlocked SADC countries becoming more prominent
In a constant effort to inform the logistics community on the advantages of using the Port of Walvis Bay and its Corridors, the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) hosted a Beyond Borders information session in Lusaka, Zambia last month.
The event which is held regularly in this market, showcases developments at the Walvis Bay Port and promotes the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC).
The session this year brought together over 100 of Zambia’s business people such as road hauliers, freight forwarders, importers and exporters and government agencies to engage with the Namibian team.
The event was addressed by the High Commissioner of Namibia to Zambia, Ambassador Remigius Haindongo, Permanent Secretary of Transport and Communications Zambia, Misheck Lungu and Namibia’s Executive Director for the Ministry of Works and Transport, Wilem Goeiemann.
Speakers from the WBCG, Namport, Transnamib and Africa Union Cargo reflected on the latest developments, followed by BHL and Zambulk sharing their experience of utilising the WBNLDC.
Opening the session, Ambassador Haindongo noted that the regular hosting of the event testifies to the cordial bilateral relations that exists between Zambia and Namibia, the policies and programmes being pursued by the two countries to transform Zambia and Namibia into regional transport hubs in the SADC region and beyond.
Goeiemann in his speech noted that Namibia remains focused on the opportunity of building the trade routes and cross border links into the region.
He further noted that for this goal to be realised, it is imperative to form a close collaboration between the governments and private sector parties.
Speaking to Zambia’s move towards converting to a middle income country, Zambia’s Permanent Secretary explained that trade activities play an even more important role to the country.
“We believe that through boosting intra-African trade we will lift our people out of poverty,” he added.
WBCG’s Acting CEO, Clive Smith said the group remains committed to enhancing trade facilitation between Namibia and Zambia and called on the business community to engage their office in Lusaka to explore viable and cost effective solutions via the Port of Walvis Bay.
Since its establishment in 2010, the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor has continued to ensure that bottlenecks to trade being faced by the business community along the route from the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia through Zambia into DRC are resolved.
The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor links the Port of Walvis Bay with Zambia, the southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.
The Corridor runs via the former Caprivi Strip in north-eastern Namibia and enters Zambia via the Katima Mulilo Bridge.
