Staff Reporter
THE Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, highlighted the importance of Namibia strengthening its trade capabilities through market diversification, focusing on areas where it has a comparative advantage.
“Namibia must focus on enhancing its trade capabilities through market diversification, concentrating on priority areas where comparative advantage exists, unlocking the potential offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and enhancing its position in the African trading landscape. We must prioritise key sectors such as agriculture, mining, renewable energy, and logistics, as well as trade in services—particularly tourism, business services, financial services, health, transportation, and communication services—to position Namibia competitively within the African market,” the minister said.
Ashipala-Musavyi made these remarks at the Ministry of International Relations and Trade’s recent General Staff Meeting. She explained that, in advancing trade, the developmental priorities outlined in the SWAPO Party Manifesto and its Implementation Plan must always guide the ministry’s efforts, as they represent commitments made to the people of Namibia.
“In addition, we must aggressively pursue our bilateral cooperation with realignment to address the outlined priorities of education, health, agriculture, housing, sanitation, youth employment, and so on. Multilateral and technical cooperation should also be realigned to the above priorities. We must seek membership in United Nations agencies that are technical in nature, to complement the realisation of our national development programmes,” she said.
She called on the ministry’s staff to work tirelessly to secure market access for Namibia’s goods and services through both bilateral and multilateral partnerships, thereby fostering local economic growth.
