Leonard Amadhila
10 May 2004
Windhoek — THE German Government through its international capacity building training programme, Inwent , and the Namibia Association of Freight Forwarders have donated 10 computers to the Ministry of Finance's Directorate of Customs and Excise.
The computers will be utilised to strengthen the training capacity of Customs and Excise officials and that of freight forwarders to boost the country's economy through an efficient and sustainable transport and logistics management system.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Alfred Titus, acting controller: customs and excise training division in the Ministry, said the donation came at the crucial time of training because currently the customs and excise is expected to ensure effective implementation of the sustainable transport mechanism that would harness the social and economic development of the country.
Titus said the Ministry is expected to provide a smooth facilitation of transactions arising from all trade negotiations nationally, regionally and internationally.
He urged all freight forwarders to enrich their knowledge and skills in order to ensure the smooth flow of trade, and maintain the effective management and handling of trading documents.
Counsellor at the German Embassy, Volker Oel, said the joint training programme was part of the ongoing German Government support to the Namibian transport sector, aimed at enhancing regional trade and integration.
"The transport sector is one of the main areas of support by Germany to Namibia, because it is our common conviction that an adequate and well maintained transport system is of crucial importance to further social and economic development in Namibia," said Oel.
He added that the transport sector was pivotal for the development of all sectors of the Namibian economy, and for facilitating the integration of the national economy at all levels.
According to Oel, with the establishment of international transport corridors Namibia was promoting a distinct concept and positioning itself as a transport hub in the SADC region, not only to market the country's valuable infrastructure, but also to boost the economy through spinoff effects along the transport corridors.
He noted that it was vital for the Ministry to realise the promotion of the corridor concept because it would develop and maintain transport infrastructure.
Such ideals would address the administrative burdens, the non-tariff trade barriers, which were still hampering the smooth flow of goods across the borders in the region.
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