AFTER a long and arduous journey, Namibia was in May 2021 finally accepted as a member of GS1 Global.The Namibia Barcode Centre (now GS1 Namibia) is the official and authorised custodian and administrator ofthe Namibian barcode prefix 631.
This means, for the first time, Namibia’s products will have their own identity and traceable on the local and
international markets.
The need for a Namibian barcode was revealed in a study by the Namibia Trade Forum, which found that the
lack of such a barcode was a major barrier to market access in Namibia.
It, therefore, became pertinent to ensure that Namibia has a barcode to improve market access for businesses
across the board.
This hallmark event could not have come at a more opportune time, especially in the wake of more
entrepreneurs coming to the fore and producing more goods.
For such entrepreneurs and other small businesses, the Namibian barcode means easier means of acquiring a
unique Namibian barcode, thereby improving market access chances at home and abroad.
This also creates an opportunity for the production of high quality, certified goods, which can compete fairly on
the world stage and are traceable.
* Stacey Pinto is the chief executive officer of the Namibia Trade Forum.
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