China and Namibia sign bilateral agreements

Musa Zimunya

WINDHOEK, Apr. 5 – During President Hage Geingob’s State Visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping, various Ministries signed bilateral agreements, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

An existing Agreement between the two countries on the Establishment and Operation of the China Space Tracking, Telemetry and Command Station in Namibia, was signed by Dr. Itah Kandjii-Murangi, Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation.

“One part of the Command station is the construction of the data receiving station in Namibia. Already, Namibians are being trained on space science at the Command station. Hence its extension will mean more Namibians will be trained in space science and Namibia can become a role player in  space development for the benefit of human kind,” said Nandi-Ndaitwa during a press briefing earlier today.

She added that Namibia would expand its capacity in remote sensing and earth observation through the satellite data receiving ground station, once it was constructed. The facility would enable Namibia to monitor the sea, improve disaster management, and improve the urban planning and monitoring of its environment.

In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Mechanism between The Export-Import Bank of China and Namibia’s Ministry of Finance was signed by Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein.

“The envisaged financial cooperation would entail grants and concessional loans (or blended instruments), public and private investments, cooperation in tax and customs administration. Loans and grant agreements will be project specific and the need to be agreed upon on a project-by-project basis,” she said.

Though no loan agreement had been entered into as yet, conditions and terms, empowerment provisions, skills and technology transfers, as well as sourcing and procurement rules would be included in order to ensure a “win-win” impact, she stated.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China signed a protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Sanitary Requirements for Beef to be Exported from Namibia to China. This protocol means that Namibian beef will be free to enter the Chinese Market and Namibia will be the first African Country that will be able to export its beef to China, thus diversifying its market.

Said Nandi-Ndaitwah, “This will also require Namibian farmers to be more innovative and produce more than before, considering that one Province in China could have between 20 and 80 million people.”

Furthermore, an extension of the draw-down and repayment periods of the interest free loan for housing stipulated on the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the two governments was signed by Schlettwein.

Also, an Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation of Grant between the two governments was signed by Obeth M. Kandjoze, Minister of Econoic Planning and Director-General of the National Planning Commission.

Nandi-Ndaitwah explained that the agreement is aimed at formalising the implementation of Projects already on course, adding, “Hence, the RMB 300 Million that is part of the agreement is for the construction of data-receiving government station, four schools and other project that will be mutually agreed.”

musa@namibiadailynews.info