WALVIS BAY: Governor of the Erongo Region, Cleophas Mutjavikua on Monday indicated that investments totaling more than N.dollars 3 billion at the Namibian Port Authority (Namport) will assist Government to achieve goals listed in the fourth National Development Plan (NDP4).
Mutjavikua made this statement during the christening of Namport’s newly-acquired tugboat, ‘Onkoshi’ here on Monday.
The investments include the new Walvis Bay container terminal, ship and rig repair facility, tanker berth and marina development.
The governor indicated that various large scale projects fall under the key requirements of the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (TIPEEG), of which Namport is a beneficiary.
“Not only will this assist Government in realising the NDP4 goals, but also prepare the region for major infrastructural developments for the next 30 years of growth,” said Mutjavikua.
He added that the investments will provide an excess of 3 000 sustainable jobs to the region.
The governor further explained that the main targets of the NDP4, which was adopted in July this year, are sustainable high economic growth, job creation and reduction of inequality in the distribution of economic benefits.
Mutjavikua pointed out that the plan places specific and deliberate focus on logistics and transport, which would have a direct positive impact on the Erongo Region’s sustainable development map.
He also stated that the NDP4 was launched with a clear focus on the Erongo Region, as Government has pledged its full support to enhance the port’s competitiveness.
“We can, therefore, no longer have a business as usual attitude towards development challenges. It is now time for action, and action that yield results,” he said.
Speaking during the same ceremony, Namport’s Chief Executive Officer, Bisey /Uirab, stated that Namport is preparing for the next phase in the port’s development.
/Uirab added that the tender for this new phase in the port’s development, which was announced last week, includes a new container terminal that will take Namport’s capacity to over one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year.