The Ministry of Mines and Energy has proposed the introduction of a single importation point for goods as a means to curb rising import prices.
Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo said the approach is set to potentially offer relief to sectors heavily impacted by elevated costs, such as transportation and agriculture.
He said a single importation point seeks to centralise the country’s import needs, creating a unified channel for all incoming goods. The strategy is aimed at allowing the government to take advantage of bulk purchasing and potentially drive down importation costs.
“One way of doing that is to create perhaps a single importation point where we can aggregate all the import needs for the country and you can then take advantage of the economies of scale,” he said.
The Minister also said by joining import activities through a single point, the government aims to streamline the distribution process. Rather than multiple importing companies managing their supply chains, a centralised approach could lead to more efficient and cost-effective operations.
“Instead of each importing company selling to their customers, the importation can be done by a single point and then that means that it might have an effect on the cost and probably lowering the cost,” he said
Alweendo, however, emphasised the need for thorough consultations with all stakeholders before implementation can happen, adding that the government aims to ensure that the proposed single importation point is not only sustainable but also receives input from businesses, industry representatives, and the public.
“We believe that [this initiative] will help decrease some of the importation costs that we have encountered so far,” Alweendo said.
Namibia imports food products; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment and chemicals.
South Africa is Namibia’s major import partner (66% of total imports), followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and China.
