TRADE agreements with the European Union (EU) came under fire from young and old in Swapo this week, with accusations against the economic bloc ranging from being neo-colonialists to bullies using underhanded tactics.

Founding President Sam Nujoma set the tone at the Institute of Bankers (IOB) on Monday night, charging that the EU are "neo-colonialists of the first order" and saying he doesn't think Namibia should sign the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the group.

Yesterday, the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) too issued a statement, calling on Government, and specifically the Ministry of Trade and Industry, "to continue the existing waiver permitting regional trade agreements, as well as efforts towards freer trade within African sub-regions such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and points westwards and eastwards to the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the East African Community (EAC)".

SPYL Secretary for Economic Affairs Veikkoh Nekundi said the EU's "underhanded tactics" in the current round of negotiations must be seen against the background of Namibia's dependence on primary commodities for export earnings and its subsequent vulnerability to external factors.

"Their relentless push to apply rigid free-trade principles to all sectors of the global economy, leaving less room for national development strategies, judging poor and rich countries by the same rules, and pushing aside social considerations such as poverty eradication and the integration of development considerations in trade policy matters, must be rejected by all especially the indigenous business people," Nekundi said.

World trade should enhance growth by allowing individual states to trade freely according to its comparative advantages. In the process living standards must be improved, employment created, tariffs and non-tariffs barriers reduced and domestic investment boosted, the SPYL said.

Namibia, Angola and South Africa are the only countries in the SADC-EPA trade configuration that still haven't concluded interim EPAs with the EU. Namibia's main concerns are that the EU is unwilling to put negotiated trade concessions regarding food security, infant industry protection, import taxes and free flow of goods in writing.

Other outstanding issues are the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause and the Definition of Parties (DoP) matter. Namibia, like independent trade observers, fears that these issues might undermine regional integration and undermine South-South trade.

Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob has repeatedly said that Namibia is willing to commit to the EPA, once its interests are adequately considered and the country is treated like an equal partner.