Nuusita Ashipala
ONGWEDIVA – While the export businesses at the border town of Oshikango is still in a slump because of the current economic challenges, the town has once again become a hive of business activities.
The Mayor of Helao Nafidi Town Council, Eliaser Nghipangelwa expressed these sentiments. “Of course, there is a decline in the population at the town and a decline in the number of people frequenting the town daily for business, but the local business has picked up and its business as usual,” enthused an upbeat Nghipangelwa.
Nghipangelwa said the same cannot be said for the export and import market as business continues to limp.
But he said business should be better than two years ago when N$1 traded for an equivalent to 45 Angolan kwanzas.
At the moment N$1 is equivalent to between 26 and 27 kwanza.
“With the current rates, it is easier for our Angolan counterparts to make purchases here, unlike back then when it was twice as much,” said Nghipangelwa.
The Oshikango Business Association responded business is still very slow.
In the quest to ease businesses between Oshikango and the Cunene Region in neighbouring Angola, business personalities earlier this year also pleaded with the Namibian government to revise the daily road entry permit fees on vehicles at the border.
The concerned community wants government to allow the required entry user permit fee of N$230 to be made a monthly installment.
The affected community claimed they struggle to pay the rates as they frequent the country for trade.
However, the Communications and Marketing Practitioner at the Road Fund Administration (RFA), Beaulah Garises, at the time maintained that the rates are not negotiable as they were gazetted as approved by the Ministry of Works and Transport.
At the time, she advised regular users to apply for frequent user permits.