Lucia Iipumbu

"We are now looking at interventions to make sure much of what we process is grown locally, has value-added locally, and is distributed locally"

"We also passed a policy last year and are busy with a law that is about to be enacted for special economic zones. We will then be able to designate specific areas in specific regions for specific industrial activities in manufacturing and the biggest sectors of our economy – mining, fishing, agriculture. We have looked at the specific areas and designated them for their competitive advantage"

"We are currently in the process of preparing to participate in the guided trade initiative, whereby we will send off the first consignment for Namibia under the AfCFTA in October 2024 to signify the commencement of trading under the AfCFTA"

"It also liberalises services and aims to tackle non-tariff barriers which hamper trade between African countries, such as long delays at the border"

"Namibia is ready to tap into a single market of about 1,3 billion people, while growing at home and industrialising the local economy to produce goods and services with which to trade"

"The ministry has put in place the requisite legal and regulatory building blocks to fully industrialise Namibia; to strengthen its trade both locally, regionally, continentally and globally; and to vigorously enable small and medium enterprises to develop and flourish"