Customs office opens in South

KEETMANSHOOP NAMPA Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila last week inaugurated the Customs and Excise directorate's new //Karas regional office at Keetmanshoop. Before the construction of the new offices, worth about N$23 million, the directorate made use of an old building. The building will house 27 officials, who will provide management and leadership services to a total staff complement of 149 people serving the //Karas and Hardap Regions. It has a warehouse, secure parking facilities and garages for detained goods and the official vehicles. The directorate falls under the Ministry of Finance. Some of the duties of the Customs and Excise officials are the collection of revenue, the control of prohibited and restricted goods, and the identification of illegitimate trade through the application of risk assessment, profiling and targeting. Opening the new offices, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the building is strategically located for the expeditious facilitation of logistics and in-bound trade, particularly given the region's proximity to Namibia's main regional trade partner South Africa. As such, it is an expansion of the ministry's resolve to better place Customs and Excise officials to effectively discharge key roles which support government's socio-economic development programmes. “This investment has come at an opportune time when trade integration is being accelerated at global, continental and regional levels. Increased trade with other countries is expected to challenge our readiness to be responsive and competitive, thereby requiring more re-engineering processes and connected infrastructural networks providing speedy and quality services,” the Finance minister stated. She went on to say that in the quest to accelerate trade partnerships, her ministry launched a Customs and Business Forum in May 2013 to provide an opportunity and avenue for continuous consultations on policy issues between the ministry and its broader client base. “We have also finished the formulation of a new Tender Bill. It was referred to Parliament, and you will soon see me motivating it. When passed, the Bill will, amongst other benefits, see regional and local authorities giving more tenders for accelerated development,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila noted. She then appealed to the private sector, business people and individuals in the region to finance development projects, and not to let Government finance such projects alone. “We might be poor, but let us use the little we have and finance our development with a smile,” she advised. On his part, //Karas Governor Bernardus Swartbooi said plans are underway to establish a logistics' hub and golf course at Keetmanshoop through the financial assistance of the private sector. Meanwhile, Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency Councillor Hilma Nikanor added at the same event that development is slowly but surely happening in Keetmanshoop and the broader //Karas. “As we can all see, several developments are happening here, and that is a sign that our government is giving this region attention,” Nikanor noted.