The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade in conjunction with the Namibian embassy in Washington, DC, will host a United States (US) delegation from 6 to 10 June for the Annual Trade Mission in Windhoek, Namibia.
Ministry spokesperson Elijah Mukubonda says the ministry is preparing to receive a multi-sectoral business delegation from the US on a mission to explore and follow up on possible business opportunities in the country.
The delegation to the meeting, themed ‘Doing Business in Namibia‘, will be headed by Namibia’s ambassador to the US, Margaret Mensah-Williams, and will be hoping to meet with business people from different sectors, including tourism.
“The aim of the gathering is to yield tangible results where the American businesses can explore the diverse opportunities that exist in Namibia for greater mutual benefit,” Mukubonda says.
He says Namibia continues to create an enabling environment for investment opportunities enhanced by its rich natural resources, stable population growth, widening middle-income position, ease of doing business, infrastructure development, stable macroeconomic environment, improving governance, embracing of a democratic culture, and a conducive business climate.
He says the US mission aims to promote trade and investment in education, mining and mineral beneficiation, logistics and container terminals, agriculture and agro-processing, low-cost housing, tourism and hospitality, water and power generation, the creative industry and culture, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, including herbal medicine, marine resources, and natural cosmetics.
The ministry, through the ‘Growth at Home‘ initiative, is committed to supporting industrial, trade, investment and business activities in the country.
“We have an investment culture. We wish to urge local business people to take advantage of such opportunities and grow businesses at home. We are optimistic that the prospective investment opportunities conveyed in this trade mission will find fertile ground here in Namibia to grow, germinate and flourish.
“Namibia is keen to maximise potential in trade, investment and skills transfer through market access, strengthening technical assistance and capacity building initiatives to improve and expand Namibia’s export basket to the US market,” Mukubonda says.
Chief executive officer of the Hospitality Association of Namibia Gitta Paetzold welcomes the US delegation’s visit and says it would be good for the tourism sector.
“We are excited to be part of the invitation list. Besides links with the US hunting fraternity, the tourism fraternity in Namibia has not made much inroads into the US travel market. We hope to reach some of the people who are part of the delegation to promote Namibia.
“We had a good start with the Millennium Challenge Account some eight to 10 years ago, but we need to foster that relationship. We are happy the delegation that is coming is also interested in tourism in addition to other sectors. This is very good news at a very good time,” Paetzold says.
Namibian products, including beef and charcoal, entered the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act dispensation, a platform that seeks to boost economic cooperation and trade between the US and Africa.
Source article: The Namibian
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