WALVIS BAY – Bilateral trade between Namibia and the United Kingdom (UK) stood at N$2 billion in 2013.
The export of Namibian goods to the UK was estimated at N$1 billion with imports from the UK valued at N$983 million.
This is according to the British High Commissioner to Namibia Marianne Young who is positive that trade between the two countries will grow much more. She bases her assessment on the excellent bilateral agreements between the two countries.
Young was addressing officers of the British Naval Ship HMS Portland , government officials and business persons during a ceremony hosted onboard the vessel to launch the 2014 “Doing Business in Namibia Guide” on Monday evening in Walvis Bay.
Young said the British High Commission last year spent about N$1.1 million on a range of prosperity-boosting projects, focussing mainly on improving local trade and the investment environment as well as enhancing opportunities for British investors.
“There are numerous exciting British commercial projects currently ongoing in Namibia, including Weatherly’s new Tschudi copper mine in Tsumeb and the development of Namibia’s offshore Kudu gas deposits, to name a few. However, sadly trade volumes between the UK and Namibia changed substantially between 2012 and 2013 due to the decision by Diamond Corporation De Beers to move its trading and sorting operations from London to Botswana’s capital Gaborone,” she said.
“The evening gives us a chance to showcase the activities of many excellent UK companies active in Namibia across the mining, oil, gas, marine, financial services, energy and tourism sectors,” said the British High Commissioner to Namibia.
Young explained that the businesses help to showcase the UK’s capabilities and expertise across a range of industries that are beneficial to the Namibian economy.
“Namibia clearly enjoys a positive balance of trade with the UK largely in exporting minerals, beef, grapes, beer and charcoal and mainly importing machinery and vehicles. However, we would like to encourage Namibia to look at other trade opportunities offered by the UK,” she said.
She went on to say that Namibia and the UK are fortunate to enjoy close bilateral relations that enable the countries to build closer cooperation and understanding in terms of trade.
She added that the UK and Namibia have much in common , including shared democratic values, vibrant trade and cultural and educational links .
“This visit of the ship signifies another chapter of our strong record of partnerships to achieve our common goal of improved security in this region and throughout the world,” Young said.
By Eveline de Klerk