The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) says it has destroyed counterfeit goods worth over N$5 million which were being offloaded onto the market.
“We appeal to the public to be vigilant and not participate in the trade of counterfeit goods. Not only are they likely to have the goods confiscated, but some goods might not meet the set standards and could be harmful to society,” NamRA’s Chief: Strategic Communications and Support Engagements, Steven Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze, told The Brief.
This comes as the world is struggling with a proliferation of counterfeit goods that are estimated to constitute 5% of the world’s total trade.
Ndorokaze said the Agency destroyed counterfeit goods such as branded items displaying several prominent clothing brands and ranging from clothes, shoes, perfumes and bags.
“The consignment also included sanitizers and electronic devices such as cellular phones. The goods were seized from various operations and at different entry points, spanning from 2015 to date.”
He added the bulk of the goods had been confiscated upon entry at Hosea Kutako International Airport and the Post of Walvis Bay.
“Most of the goods were seized at the Hosea Kutako International Airport and the Post of Walvis Bay. The destroyed goods are classified as counterfeit goods, meaning that they were manufactured or sold under another brand name without the brand owner’s authorization,” Ndorokaze said.
The NamRA chief was, however, coy on divulging the most common source market for counterfeit goods.
“I think it is safe to say that the goods originate from various countries around the globe,” he said.
Ndorokaze noted that there could be further penalties varying from failure to declare to cases of undervaluation, depending on the specific circumstances.
“Counterfeit goods could also lead to criminal charges being laid against suspected offenders,” he added.
In April, NamRA revealed that it had collected close to N$1 million in administrative penalties in two weeks from undervalued and undeclared goods being imported into the country, coupled with incidents of false declarations.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that the cost of cloning or counterfeit goods globally is N$8 trillion a year – the largest percentage of that by value is electronics.
