By:Mauricia Koopman
The Minister of Trade and Industrialisation Lucia Iipumbu said increased global trade and the dynamics in the international supply chain have created new demands on the role of customs administrations and other government agencies on trade facilitation.
Ipumbu said the business community tries to move goods faster, at reduced cost to maintain competitiveness between the countries, adding that customs administrations and other government agencies are expected to improve the processing of increased volumes of cargo.
To achieve these objectives, the Minister said it is critical for customs administrations, other government agencies and businesses to collaborate and establish mutually beneficial partnerships.
She said the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)programme in Namibia for the Southern African Custom Union (SACU) region intends to support the industrialisation and trade agenda to enable for the region to achieve improved administrative and reduction of time and cost associated with cross border trading and as well as a enhanced competitiveness of SACU member states.
According to the latest national budget, SACU revenues are expected to increase by 71.6% from N$14.2 billion in FY2022/23 to N$24.3 billion in FY2023/24, following revenue growth contractions in the three years prior.
The AEO programme was launched last year on 7 April 2022 to strengthen partnerships between NamRA and businesses.
The key element of the programme is ensuring goods land in the global market with accreditation and assurance during production will be able to monitor and assure what is in the container as it lands in the specific country.
“NamRA will support you and assist you to become successful and for Namibia to succeed,” saidThabo Thasipe, SACU Executive Secretary .
He further mentioned that SACU is trying to link it to a single programme and get the same VIP treatment as this is the tool for value chain.
Thasipe added that Namibia only has one operator which turns out to be the lowest at the moment as Botswana has three, Lesotho 10 and South Africa 158.
NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute said if businesses do well it will help the economy grow as well as make it possible for the government to address serious challenges in the country.
Furthermore, he said an AEO ecosystem is based on the principle of partnership and customs between economic stakeholders to work together and identify opportunities in the private sector.
“When you get accredited with this programme you get VIP treatment,” Shivute said.
He stressed that if a business needs to get a bond, they can get it at a reduced price.
Trade Facilitation Crucial For Namibia
