TIRI MASAWI
The African Development Bank Group (AFDB) has pledged continued support to Namibia’s quest to improve rail and inch closer to being a regional transport and logistics hub.
AFDB Director of Infrastructure and Urban Development Mike Salawou said they are keen to continue supporting Namibia to improve its rail system.
He was speaking at the 25 year anniversary of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) on Friday.
He said Namibia is well positioned to be Africa’s transport hub.
“I would like to tell you, the right honourable deputy prime minister, that the AFDB stands ready to support Namibia on infrastructure development. We are ready to work with you as well as the private sector in Namibia. We are happy to work and support Namibia on transactional advisory,” he said.
Salawou said Namibia controls some of the continent’s vital corridors that have potential to create a transport and logistics hub as well as connect several states and make the movement of goods and services easier.
“The Trans-Kunene corridor is a very important corridor that we value and last but not least the trans kalahari corridor.The Walvis Bay corridor is another important corridor that we would like to see grow. It is a corridor that will connect Africa. These are some of the projects that we would like to see grow. The railway is important in growing these corridors and we will keep supporting them,” he said.
Meanwhile Deputy Prime minister and minister of industries, mines and energy Natangue Ithete said WBG has contributed immensely to Namibia’s economy in the past 25 years.
He said the opportunities created by the group have benefited Namibians. Ithete also reiterated the government’s push for local beneficiation.
“I am standing here and would like to talk about a topic that is important. The aspect of making sure that all Namibians fully benefit from their resources. We welcome investors in the country but we would like them to work with locals.
“We have been talking about the issue of local ownership and I keep asking myself when is it relevant to talk about this important issue. Should we do it now? Should we have started it at independence? Should we talk about this later.The issue thought is in future we want Namibians to own 51% of their resources and we will give you 49%,” he said.
Last year AFDB TransNamib secured funding of N$2.6 billion from the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to enhance its locomotive fleet.
TransNamib CEO Desmond Van Jaarsveld then said the loan will be used for the remanufacturing of rolling stock, acquisition of new rolling stock, modernisation of the TransNamib workshop and upgrading of signalling equipment, including spares and associated equipment.
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