ONGWEDIVA – Namibian small business owners importing goods from China will take to the streets this week to demonstrate against recently enforced customs measures.

The Ministry of Finance, through its customs department, earlier this month intensified confiscation of counterfeit goods. However, the Namibian traders charged that they are losing non-branded items from
their imported goods.

“A concern is that we are losing non-branded items. We don’t know how customs and excise officials remove goods which are not branded, since the mission is to confiscate branded goods,” argued the group’s spokesperson Hilya Nampweya.

The envisaged demonstration will start at Wernhil Park up to the Ministry of Finance headquarters
where a petition would be handed to the authorities. This is not the first time that  the traders will take to the street. Last year a group of local importers also marched to the finance ministry to register their
grievances.

Government has in the past confiscated counterfeit goods worth millions. Spokesperson in the finance
ministry Tonateni Shidhudhu in an earlier interview with New Era said the mechanisms in place
are being enforced to address confiscation of illegal goods, while at the same time enforcing
the law and clearing procedures in order to ensure that taxes and duties are paid.

“We wish to point out that if a parcel is opened and nonbranded clothing are found, customs procedures will apply and thereafter the items will be released to the owner,” said Shidhudhu. He said counterfeit items are confiscated and later destroyed. Sh i dhudhu said the confiscation of imported parcels
and other goods is part of the enforcement of the Intellectual Property Rights Act and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Treaty on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

The treaty provides for agreements that relate to border measures required to be taken for providing protection against infringement of property rights at all entry points. In addition to counterfeit goods, items such as medicine, cream chemicals, detergents and anything else that does not conform to the health
requirements as mandated by the Namibian Medicine Regulatory Council (NMRC) are also confiscated for health reasons.