Chamwe Kaira
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) plans to conduct a study on the competitiveness of the Walvis Bay Corridors.
The Group in conjunction with the transport and logistics industry is seeking a consultant to conduct a study on the competitiveness of the Walvis Bay Corridors.
The objective of the consulting exercise is to look at the competitiveness of the corridors and the assessment of tariff and non-tariff barriers and infrastructure in non-tariff barriers, tariff Barriers and infrastructure deficit.
The Group said road transport related Infrastructure is a key enabler for intra-regional and international trade. The Group said it can reduce transport costs both within Namibia and to other countries, increasing internal as well as external trade integration. However, lack of infrastructure becomes a barrier to trade.
The study is expected to identify key infrastructure required in order to facilitate the free flow of goods and people along the trade corridors. The study is expected to develop guidelines and policy recommendations for governments on the basis of the discussions from the policy dialogues, experience and best practice exchange.
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) was established in the year 2000 to engage in business development and marketing activities in order to increase cargo throughput at the ports and along the Walvis Bay as well as advocate for corridor and infrastructure development.
The Walvis Bay Corridors are an integrated system of roads and rail networks, accommodating all modes of transport from the Port of Walvis Bay via the Trans Kalahari, Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (previously known as the Trans-Caprivi), Trans-Cunene and Trans-Oranje Corridors providing landlocked Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries access to transatlantic markets.
The Trans Kalahari Corridor links the Port of Walvis Bay to Gaborone and Gauteng in South Africa. From there, this Corridor links with the Maputo Corridor on the east coast of southern Africa. The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor accesses the landlocked countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Trans-Cunene Corridor extends through northern Namibia into southern Angola, and the Trans-Oranje Corridor links the Port of Lüderitz with the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
The WBCG has branch offices that facilitates cross border business development in Lusaka Zambia, Johannesburg South Africa and Lubumbashi DRC. The group’s strategic plan focuses its efforts on increasing cargo volumes for the Ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, and the Walvis Bay Corridors, as well as on enhancing the competitiveness of the corridors.
