MTI courts diplomatic corps

THE Ministry of Trade and Industry yesterday had a meeting with members of the diplomatic community to court businesses to come and take part in the upcoming Walvis Bay Development Corridor SDI conference to be held in Windhoek.

SDI refers to the use of existing infrastructure to economically empower the area in which the infrastructure is. There are currently some 20 SDIs in the sub-region of southern, central and east Africa.The Walvis Bay Development Corridor SDI starts at the port of Walvis Bay, linking Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and ends at the port of Maputo in Mozambique.The Spatial Development Initiative of the Walvis Bay Development Corridor will hold its conference in October, and it is a plan by Namibia and South Africa to enhance cooperation and boost both countries’ economic status.The objective of the envisaged event, dubbed the Namibia International Investor Conference, would be “to serve as a forum that would afford the project promoters, potential partners, would-be financiers, government agencies, an opportunity to interact in respect of the cross-sectoral investment portfolio.”This event will be held through a bilateral economic cooperation agreement signed between Namibia and South Africa, and will be presided over by President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki.The meeting yesterday was to ask the diplomatic corps to help with the identification of potential investors and partners to assist with the marketing of investors’ conference and to create awareness in their countries on opportunities in Namibia The Ministry of Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, Andrew Ndishishi, told the diplomats that to date 48 projects had been identified in sectors such as agriculture, mariculture, manufacturing, mining and tourism.Types of projects under focus are productive private investments, manufacturing, export-oriented projects, projects seeking joint venture partners and private equity; and all should be at an advanced stage of project development.Speaking on the benefits of such an event, Freddie !Gaoseb of the Namibia Investment Centre said: “All the projects, processes and outcomes will make a positive impact on the socio-economic development objectives of Namibia, such as the generation of local employment opportunities, development and enhancement of local skills, creation of investment opportunities for SMEs, food security, deepening and broadening of the regional value chain in specific sectors and make the nation more competitive.”The German Ambassador to Namibia, Arne Freiherr von Kittlitz und Ottendorf, welcomed the idea and said it provided a platform for Namibia to attract foreign investment.He, however, said more information and clarity were required on the initiative.The meeting was attended by representatives of the EU, Nigeria, Finland, DRC, South Africa, Angola and Kenya.There are currently some 20 SDIs in the sub-region of southern, central and east Africa.The Walvis Bay Development Corridor SDI starts at the port of Walvis Bay, linking Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and ends at the port of Maputo in Mozambique.The Spatial Development Initiative of the Walvis Bay Development Corridor will hold its conference in October, and it is a plan by Namibia and South Africa to enhance cooperation and boost both countries’ economic status.The objective of the envisaged event, dubbed the Namibia International Investor Conference, would be “to serve as a forum that would afford the project promoters, potential partners, would-be financiers, government agencies, an opportunity to interact in respect of the cross-sectoral investment portfolio.”This event will be held through a bilateral economic cooperation agreement signed between Namibia and South Africa, and will be presided over by President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki.The meeting yesterday was to ask the diplomatic corps to help with the identification of potential investors and partners to assist with the marketing of investors’ conference and to create awareness in their countries on opportunities in Namibia The Ministry of Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, Andrew Ndishishi, told the diplomats that to date 48 projects had been identified in sectors such as agriculture, mariculture, manufacturing, mining and tourism.Types of projects under focus are productive private investments, manufacturing, export-oriented projects, projects seeking joint venture partners and private equity; and all should be at an advanced stage of project development.Speaking on the benefits of such an event, Freddie !Gaoseb of the Namibia Investment Centre said: “All the projects, processes and outcomes will make a positive impact on the socio-economic development objectives of Namibia, such as the generation of local employment opportunities, development and enhancement of local skills, creation of investment opportunities for SMEs, food security, deepening and broadening of the regional value chain in specific sectors and make the nation more competitive.”The German Ambassador to Namibia, Arne Freiherr von Kittlitz und Ottendorf, welcomed the idea and said it provided a platform for Namibia to attract foreign investment.He, however, said more information and clarity were required on the initiative.The meeting was attended by representatives of the EU, Nigeria, Finland, DRC, South Africa, Angola and Kenya.