Bipa Swakop office moves to Walvis Bay

THE Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) opened its new Erongo regional office at Walvis Bay on Tuesday, after relocating from Swakopmund.

The main reason for relocating the office, according to Bipa’s chief executive officer, Vivienne Katjiuongua, was due to Walvis Bay’s proximity to the greater business community in the region.

Minister of industrialisation and trade Lucia Iipumbu at the opening said Namibia’s economy is dependent on the success of key sectors in different regions, and that Walvis Bay’s port and fishing industry, together with the region’s contribution to mining and tourism, are the biggest contributors to the country’s coffers.

“With the port and the corridors, Walvis Bay also facilitates other regions’ economies, while also linking Namibia with the rest of the world with exports and imports,” she said.

Iipumbu said investment confidence is also based on ethical grounds and legal conduct, which emphasises the important role of Bipa with regards to business registration and the protection of intellectual property.

According to her, there was a major spike in business registrations when people scrambled for new fishing rights in 2018, and 50% of registered companies were from Walvis Bay.

“Walvis Bay bypassed all the other regions, not just with fishing companies, but other businesses too,” she said, adding there was enough evidence that Walvis Bay was the best location for Bipa’s strategic operation in the region.

Katjiuongua said moving to Walvis Bay was a deliberate step in prioritising the authority’s customers, and to make access to its services easier, while also reducing costs.

The government institution is also in the process of finalising plans to migrate from manual to online services.

As for the decentralisation of Bipa, she said it has created easier access for small and medium enterprises to learn about the importance of protecting products and services, and business registration.

Bipa board chairman Riundja Kaakunga said while Bipa has travelled a turbulent road since its enactment by parliament in 2016, it continues to lay the foundation of the economy through its mandate to protect intellectual property correctly, while also registering business to ensure the idea is profitable.

“We have seen that the decision to open the office at Walvis has resulted in a spike in applications and client visits, compared to the previous office at Swakopmund,” he said.

Erongo governor Neville Andre said the upgrade and relocation of Bipa will help many businesses in the region, especially after Covid-19 restrictions, to transform from informal to formal by becoming aware of the importance of the authority’s service.

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