Ndapwa Alweendo
7 July 2009
FIFTY members of the logistics industry gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of the Namibia Logistics Association (NLA), a non-profit organisation that aims to improve industry performance and shape public policies affecting the sector.
The NLA replaces the three former representative organisations: NAMROAD, the Namibia Association of Freight Forwarders (NAFF), and the Namibia Logistics Network (NLN), which aimed to represent Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the sector.
Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Paul Smit, congratulated the NLA for working to improve the efficiency of logistics and strengthening the transportation environment.
"It is good to see that the Namibian logistics industry has decided to establish a single association which encompasses all the role players and interest groups involved in the creation of the required 'balanced diet' necessary for the Namibian economy to develop and grow in a balanced and sustainable manner."
Smit went on to assure the NLA of Government's commitment to an improved transport sector, and requested from the industry a "Transport Master Plan to assist in the co-ordination of all efforts required for the maintenance and improvement of the Namibian logistics sector". Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are most disadvantaged by the current economic climate, and the NLA aims to help keep small businesses afloat by creating opportunities for interaction with larger national and international clients, and securing supplier discounts for all members. An SME support programme (currently in the planning stages) that offers entrepreneurship training and access to finance is another benefit being offered to small businesses.
The NLA currently has over 50 members from the logistics industry.
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