Namibia to tighten container control at ports

NAMIBIA will be the first country in the Southern African Development Community to implement the Container Control Programme (CCP) that is used in the prevention of drug trafficking and other illicit cross-border activities at seaports.

CCP is a joint initiative by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) which assists law enforcement structures in enhancing border and trade supply chain security while facilitating legitimate trade.

The CCP unit will be based at the port of Walvis Bay and will jointly be administered by officials of the Namibia Revenue Agency (Namra) Namport, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and the Namibian Police.

The programme will allow Namibian law enforcement agents at the port to share information with other countries about high-risk containers.

Namra’s manager for strategic communications and stakeholder engagements Tonateni Shidhudhu told The Namibian that the implementation of the CCP is part of customs modernisation to address inefficiencies at the port.

“The launch of this programme is a clear demonstration that Namibia is serious about becoming a logistics hub in southern Africa, and when you are a logistics hub issues of risk management cannot be underestimated,” he says.

Countries that have implemented the CCP have seized a wide range of prohibited goods, proceeds of fisheries, wildlife and other environmental crime, as well as prohibited drugs, stolen vehicles and counterfeit goods.

Minister of finance Ipumbu Shiimi will launch the programme on Friday at Walvis Bay.

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