Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade will soon construct trade and industrial estates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo.
This is to facilitate the export of Namibian products, including meat and meat products, to the Congo Basin and parts of Angola.
According to ministry spokesperson Elijah Mukubonda, this follows the donation of land to Namibia a few years ago by the governments of the DRC and the Republic of Congo.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mukubonda says the ministry was given land at Pointe-Noire in Republic of Congo, and at Lubumbashi in DRC to construct the trade and industrial facilities.
“These will be used as hubs for the promotion and trading of Namibian goods and services, such as meat and meat products, fish and fish products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, dairy products, cereals and other agro and industrial products,” he says.
He says the land donation strengthens bilateral cooperation between Namibia and the Congos in trade and investment, and enhances South-South cooperation.
The Republic of Congo has donated over three hectares at Pointe-Noire to Namibia for an open-ended period in line with the historical relationship between the two countries, and in accordance with the reciprocity clause between them.
“The land is located on the outskirts of town next to the ocean and opposite Congo’s oil refinery. The land is accessible by road, although there is a need for road infrastructure development,” Mukubonda says.
The DRC has donated more than 33 hectares at Shinga village in the Kipushi district, in the Katanga province, 26km from Lubumbashi, and 90km from the border with Zambia.
Mukubonda says the construction of cold and dry facilities in the Congos will provide a conducive environment for Namibian business people and service providers to establish a ‘one-stop shop’ in the region.
“It will facilitate market diversification and enhance trade between Namibia and the rest of Africa, stimulate employment creation, grow the country’s economy, and enhance revenue earnings,” he says.
Mukubonda says these facilities would help Namibia establish beef markets for northern communal farmers.
He, however, acknowledges that while doing business in the Congo could be profitable, there are challenges to be addressed, such as language barriers, bureaucracy and huge financial costs.
“The official language in the two Congos is French, which makes it difficult for people from English-speaking countries to communicate without an interpreter. Language barriers and cultural differences may hinder business.
“It is also expensive to get services in the Congos, because these are paid for in United States dollars,” he says.
The ministry is yet to start construction work on the two sites, he says.
Namibia Trade Forum chief executive officer Stacey Pinto says as a forum they are applauding the trade ministry’s initiative.
“The success of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement heavily depends on member states’ ability to increase productive capacity to crucially use the provisions of the agreement to secure markets for such products.
“The construction and operationalisation of the Namibian industrial estates will improve market access opportunities for Namibian goods, and allow these businesses to scale, create jobs and innovate to encourage economic diversity.
“It will also give Namibian businesses a head start, because they will have a base from which to operate as opposed to trying to enter this market as individuals each making their own arrangements,” she says.
Pinto says, the private sector is encouraged to engage and receive market intelligence on opportunities in the market of the Congos.
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