Namibia's Trade Facilitation Reforms Boost Cross-Border and Regional Trade Corridors

Gerwil Uirab
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Namibia, with its bustling Walvis Bay Port and over 3,000 port calls by cargo ships, has emerged as a key player in trade facilitation reforms within Southern Africa. As part of the Namibia Logistics Hub initiative, the country aims to become a central logistics hub in the region, transforming from a minor player to a reliable transport corridor. This strategic vision was shared by Gerwill Uirab, a member of the National Trade Facilitation Committee, during his presentation for the UNCTAD e-coaching course on “Effective Communication for members of the National Trade Facilitation Committee”.
 
A recent addition to the UNCTAD Empowerment Programme portfolio dedicated to strengthening the skills of NTFC members, the Effective Communication course provides tips and advises to help participants deliver impactful speeches and presentations for their day-to-day work at the committee. The first English edition was delivered in Autumn 2022 to selected English-speaking countries participating in UNCTAD’s project “Accelerate Trade Facilitation”, financed by the United Kingdom.

The Namibia Logistics Master Plan, a collaborative effort between public and private agencies, plays a crucial role in enhancing trade facilitation. Through public-private partnerships, the plan aims to address bottlenecks and improve infrastructure along the corridors, entry ports, and borders. With its vision to achieve an industrialized economy by 2030, Namibia is implementing strategic projects such as the Harare Propriety Plans and the Namibia National Development Plan. These initiatives, integrated into the logistics master plan, focus on sustainable trade facilitation reforms that enable smoother cross-border movements and enhance infrastructure.

Uirab also highlighted the successful implementation of the Corridor Trip Management System during the COVID-19 pandemic. This system, adopted through government multilateral policies and public-private partnerships, facilitated truck tracking and mitigated transit delays along the regional transport corridors.

To gain further insights into Namibia's trade facilitation efforts and efficient transport corridors, Uirab's presentation provides valuable information. Discover more by watching the shared presentation below.

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Gerwil Uirab

Gerwil is a Project Officer at the Walvis Bay Corridor Group in Namibia, where he  specializes in Business Development, Trade Facilitation and Corridor Management. His day to day activities includes being part of the Namibian Logistics Hub initiative from an implementing presentative, tracking working group activities, building and maintaining Public Private Partnerships. Gerwil is experienced in multilateral and bilateral negotiations as well as developing business cases for new ventures and foreign direct investments. Prior to joining the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, he worked in quality management and financial controlling for the freight forwarding industry.

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