EU-Namibia twinning agreement set in stone
On Friday, 13 May, the European Union (EU) Commission's directorate-general for international partnerships launched a twinning project with Namibia to boost the country’s international trade.
The agreement is an institutional cooperation between EU member state partners, the ministry of industrialisation and trade and the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI).
Titled ‘Support to the Namibian Standards Institution’, it aims to assist Namibia in achieving greater regional integration and boost its capacity to participate in international trade. The programme covers a two-year period and amounts to N$27 million.
During the launch, trade minister Lucia Iipumbu said this initiative is specifically aimed at rendering much-needed support in areas of standardisation, certification, trade and industry.
"It is pleasing to note that the European Union considered Namibia to be one of the first beneficiaries of this noble initiative to apply twinning instruments as institutional cooperation between EU member states and partners as well as the ministry and the NSI.
“It is indeed commendable and we consider this gesture a privilege, which will boost Namibia's technical expertise in maintaining a well-oiled national quality infrastructure," she said.
Complex issues
According to the ministry, the twinning project will contribute to the implementation and achievement of its revised National Quality Policy 2020-2025.
"It will assist Namibia in having a functional technical barriers to trade institutional framework and facilitate the implementation of the economic partnership agreement,” a press statement read.
EU ambassador to Namibia Sinikka Antila added that "these are technical and complex issues which need to be addressed, but we should not lose sight of the end-goal of these measures".
Antila wishes to see a sustainable trade policy and framework put in place and said it is equally important that all trade capacity constraints be viewed through the eyes of the private sector.
"The EU currently supports the economic partnership agreement implementation plan in Namibia with funding amounting to N$101 million,” she said.
Well underway
The programme will assist Namibia in creating an enabling institutional framework to manage trade agreements, improve quality infrastructure and services and strengthen the competitiveness of value chains," the ambassador continued.
She added that the project is well underway and that stakeholder training is set to start in June. Furthermore, a survey will be carried out to assess needs and formulate a capacity-building plan.
Antila pledged the NSI and the ministry’s readiness to engage positively with the Twinning Consortium.
The agreement is an institutional cooperation between EU member state partners, the ministry of industrialisation and trade and the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI).
Titled ‘Support to the Namibian Standards Institution’, it aims to assist Namibia in achieving greater regional integration and boost its capacity to participate in international trade. The programme covers a two-year period and amounts to N$27 million.
During the launch, trade minister Lucia Iipumbu said this initiative is specifically aimed at rendering much-needed support in areas of standardisation, certification, trade and industry.
"It is pleasing to note that the European Union considered Namibia to be one of the first beneficiaries of this noble initiative to apply twinning instruments as institutional cooperation between EU member states and partners as well as the ministry and the NSI.
“It is indeed commendable and we consider this gesture a privilege, which will boost Namibia's technical expertise in maintaining a well-oiled national quality infrastructure," she said.
Complex issues
According to the ministry, the twinning project will contribute to the implementation and achievement of its revised National Quality Policy 2020-2025.
"It will assist Namibia in having a functional technical barriers to trade institutional framework and facilitate the implementation of the economic partnership agreement,” a press statement read.
EU ambassador to Namibia Sinikka Antila added that "these are technical and complex issues which need to be addressed, but we should not lose sight of the end-goal of these measures".
Antila wishes to see a sustainable trade policy and framework put in place and said it is equally important that all trade capacity constraints be viewed through the eyes of the private sector.
"The EU currently supports the economic partnership agreement implementation plan in Namibia with funding amounting to N$101 million,” she said.
Well underway
The programme will assist Namibia in creating an enabling institutional framework to manage trade agreements, improve quality infrastructure and services and strengthen the competitiveness of value chains," the ambassador continued.
She added that the project is well underway and that stakeholder training is set to start in June. Furthermore, a survey will be carried out to assess needs and formulate a capacity-building plan.
Antila pledged the NSI and the ministry’s readiness to engage positively with the Twinning Consortium.
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