EU top-range equipment a boost for Namibia’s economy

Investing in Namibia’s trade infrastructure and quality standards paves the way for increased export-led growth, industrialisation and job creation.

This was said by the minister of industrialisation and trade, Lucia Iipumbu, at the handing over of new laboratory equipment to the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) at the institution’s testing and inspection centre at Walvis Bay recently.

According to a joint statement issued by the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Namibia, the ministry and NSI yesterday, the equipment was procured under a €6-million (approximately N$120 million) programme to support the economic partnership agreement implementation plan in Namibia.

This is an initiative to help Namibia maximise the benefits of the agreement signed in 2016 between the EU and six Southern African Development Community countries, which gives Namibian exports duty- and quota-free access to the EU market.

In a speech read on Iipumbu’s behalf by Erongo governor Neville Andre, she said: “This contribution reflects our shared commitment to strengthening Namibia’s quality infrastructure and fostering deeper trade relations with the EU.

“The provision of this state-of-the-art equipment will significantly enhance the technical performance and service delivery of the NSI, enabling it to meet international standards and bolster the competitiveness of Namibian products.”

In addition to upgrading NSI’s testing capabilities, the programme is driving broader trade and economic development efforts and supports institutional capacity-building, said the statement, adding that this collaboration underscores a shared commitment to fostering a competitive, sustainable and inclusive Namibian economy.

EU ambassador to Namibia Ana-Beatriz Martins reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to Namibia’s economic growth.

“The EU is proud to support Namibia in strengthening its national quality infrastructure.

This was done through procuring top quality laboratory equipment to meet the needs of the NSI, thereby ensuring that Namibian products meet international standards and gain better access to global markets,” she said.

NSI chief executive Eino Mvula expressed gratitude for the analytical and measurement equipment, valued at €695 670 (about N$13.7 million).

“This equipment will be used by the NSI in the execution of its role in facilitating access for Namibian products to export markets with a specific focus on trade with the EU through strengthening the capacity of the NSI testing, inspection and metrology laboratories based at Walvis Bay, Windhoek and Lüderitz,’’ he said.

Independent economist Robin Sherbourne presented key findings of an analysis on Namibia’s trade data and foreign direct investment with a focus on the EU.

“The EU has been one of Namibia’s most important export markets since at least 2004, and has been Namibia’s largest export market during the last three years.’’

– email: matthew@namibian.com.na

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