Staff Writer
The Cabinet has taken note of the outcomes of the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings held in Washington D.C., United States, while approving a headquarters agreement to strengthen the operations of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor Management Committee.
The IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, held from 13 to 19 April 2026, focused on economic challenges affecting Sub-Saharan African economies, particularly external-sector vulnerabilities, including limited foreign-exchange markets, currency mismatches and fragile inflation expectations.
According to a Cabinet report, the meetings provided a platform to discuss measures aimed at addressing these challenges and strengthening economic resilience in the region.
Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Namibia to follow up on technical assistance engagements with the IMF and World Bank arising from the discussions.
The Annual and Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group each year bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, civil society representatives, and academics to discuss the state of the global economy and issues of international concern, such as the growth outlook, financial stability, and poverty reduction.
The meetings are the only gathering of its kind in the world and a unique forum for discussion on economic policymaking.
The 2026 Spring Meetings took place in person from 13 April to 18 April 18 in the IMF and World Bank Group headquarters, in Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, Cabinet approved the Headquarters Agreement between the Government of Namibia and the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor Management Committee.
The agreement is aimed at supporting regional integration and facilitating cross-border trade by providing landlocked countries, particularly Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with improved access through Namibia’s territory to the Port of Walvis Bay.
Cabinet also authorised Jonas Sheelongo, executive director of the ministry of works and transport, to sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Namibia.
The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor is a strategic regional transport initiative linking the Port of Walvis Bay with Zambia and the DRC, with the objective of improving trade connectivity and reducing logistical barriers for landlocked economies in Southern and Central Africa.
