KAE ON FRIDAY
Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
BY the time you read this piece, Namibia would have signed the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the legal instrument that underpins economic and trade relations between the Southern African Development Community (SADC)-EPA countries and the European Union (EU).
This is after much alarm when Namibia did not sign the agreement. One understands the spontaneous sentiments of alarm coming particularly from the industry. Such sentiments are understandable not only in view of the lucrative nature of the European market for Namibian exports such as beef, but because of the sheer volume that we export.
However, I tend to believe that as much as the market may be lucrative for Namibian beef and other products such as grapes and fish, the Namibian Government has been thinking beyond the short-term and rightly so. In fact, its vision is focussed on the strategic realignment of foreign markets for our produce. This includes the diversification of the market and in this regard, breaking the monopoly of the European market over Namibian exports.
That is why the industry must be patient and not be guided by the sheer short-term luxury of this market.
Signing the agreement does not mean that we must now rest on our laurels but as the honourable Trade and Industry Minister, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, pointed out the other day and I quote: “The Government is to continue to explore avenues to resolve the issues and the business community to explore alternative competitive markets all with a view to find ways in which we can mitigate the negative impacts of the above situation on current exporters to the EU and the economy as whole.”
The signing may not necessarily mean that we have emerged with the best deal on the issues that prevented us from initially signing the agreement. Hence, the need for continued efforts and these efforts include exploring alternative markets as the Minister well pointed out.
The EU chicanery with regard to the latest agreement has an all-familiar sounding ring to it. It takes one back to the days of the inception of the Lomǟ