Oshikango
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the N$88-million inland goods and container terminal at Oshikango was held on Friday.
The 20-hectare development will help address the shortage of storage space for containers and goods earmarked for export to Angola.
The facility will comprise a 1 600-square metre warehouse and 600-square metre administration building, among others, and is expected to be completed within 24 months.
Appearing as the guest of honour, the Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, said the facility is part of the government’s strategy to position Namibia as a logistic hub. Once completed it will enhance economic and trade relations between Namibia and Angola, he added.
It will also ease the current traffic storage challenges of goods and containers and complement the current warehousing facilities at Oshikango.
“This development was initiated following an investigation to find a workable solution to improve the business environment at Oshikango,” said the minister.
He said the establishment of the new infrastructure will greatly contribute to improvement in the movement of goods, freight and storage and is expected to increase the volume of trade in a town that largely depends on trade.
The current storage facility at Oshikango Park has no provision for bulk goods and containers.
“This facility will therefore address those concerns, improve the warehousing space, and contribute to the reduction of congestion at the park and surrounding businesses in Oshikango,” said Ngatjizeko.
The minister urged the main contractor, Nexus Group, to ensure that the project is delivered as planned.
“I would like to request the relevant stakeholders who will be part of the operation of the facility to coordinate its activities to ensure it is run efficiently for the benefit of the business community,” Ngatjizeko said.
The facility will further offer services such customs control and clearance, clearing and forwarding.