By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Montreal and Beijing amendments to the Montreal Protocol will be tabled in the National Assembly for ratification by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This follows permission given by Cabinet at its meeting last month to the ministry to table the amendments in terms of the Article 63 (2) (c) of the Constitution. Namibia ratified the Montreal protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) of 1987, which aims at phasing out ODS in 1993. The Montreal amendment introduced two main obligations for parties to establish a licensing system to control import and export of ODS by the year 2000 and also within three months of entry into force, as well as restrict trade measures for substances such as Methyl Bromide with countries that are not parties to the protocol. Namibia has already implemented the licensing system and discontinued the use of ODCs in 2001. The Beijing amendment requires State parties to introduce Bromochloromethane on the list of controlled ODS whilst also introducing trade restrictions to Annex C Group 1 (Hydroflourocarbons) and Group 11 bromochloromethane. Namibia still uses hydroflourocarbons, especially in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector. Developing countries are expected to phase out of the HFCs as from 2016 provided an alternative is found. With the pending phasing-out in 2010 of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have chlorine and are dangerous for the ozone layer, HFCs are being seen as an alternative but also contribute to global warming. The ozone layer shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-B), which can cause skin cancer. An official at the Ozone office in the ministry of Trade and Industry told New Era yesterday that the country was on target to meet its 2010 obligations because there have been no imports of CFCs into Namibia for the past two years. She said that although Namibia was supposed to import 0.4 tons of CFCs in 2006, no imports were actually made, and people who still use them get them from the stockpiles. Since 2005, when the ministry introduced an incentive scheme for the conversion of cooling installations from CFCs to non-CFC-based technology, 57 government institutions and one private individual have converted their installations. CFCs are substances that drive or act as fuel for systems such as cooling installations, asthma pumps, deodorant spray cans, drycleaning and mattress-making processes. The ministry secured financial assistance from GTZ Proklima to the tune of N$1 million through which the ozone office could cover 60 percent of conversion costs of refrigeration and air-conditioning installations to non-CFC based technology. This, according to the official, could have led to some people not wanting to fork out the 40 percent. Estimates are that there are close to 200 cooling and refrigeration systems still running on CFCs in schools, hospitals, tourist resorts and other government institutions. By 2010 there will be no imports of CFCs, although companies with stockpiles will still be allowed to sell. Otherwise, recovered and recycled CFCs will be used.