Swakopmund: Namibia will operationalise the permanent secretariat of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC) on 01 April. This initiative aims to strengthen regional trade and improve cross-border transport along the strategic route linking Namibia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to Namibia Press Agency, Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, announced the development during the 14th Tripartite Council of Ministers meeting held in Swakopmund. Nekundi stated that Namibia has completed the groundwork necessary to operationalise the corridor's permanent secretariat. This includes a roadmap, hosting agreement, and funding instruments, which were developed by a task team comprising officials from the Works Ministry, Roads Authority, Namibia Revenue Agency, and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group.
The corridor is pivotal for reducing non-tariff barriers, enhancing logistics efficiency, and boosting intra-African trade, in alignment with continental initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area. To ensure sustainable funding, Namibia will introduce a User Pay Principle levy of 90 cents per tonne on all cross-border cargo transported along the corridor. Nekundi also emphasized the need for infrastructure investment, digitalisation of customs systems, and the development of inland logistics hubs and truck ports along the route.
Zambia's Minister of Transport and Logistics, Museba Tayali, remarked that the tripartite meeting served as a crucial platform for addressing logistical bottlenecks, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory harmonisation challenges affecting the corridor. Tayali stressed the importance of regular coordination among member states to effectively implement previous resolutions, such as the establishment of one-stop border posts and the harmonisation of transit fees.
DRC Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Communications Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, through a representative, commended the corridor programmes and the operationalisation of the permanent secretariat. He highlighted the significance of the corridor in providing access for land-locked countries like Zambia and the DRC, especially the Katanga region, to the Port of Walvis Bay. However, Gombe noted several challenges still impacting the corridor's competitiveness, including infrastructure gaps, administrative barriers, security concerns, and the lack of harmonised transport policies.
The WBNLDC agreement was signed in Livingstone, Zambia, in 2010 to facilitate the movement of goods and people between the three countries and promote socio-economic development along the corridor.