WINDHOEK, Oct. 15 — The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) on Tuesday defended the Port of Walvis Bay’s global competitiveness, as a recent World Bank report ranked it among the least efficient container ports worldwide.
The port authority said it acknowledged the findings of the 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), published by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, which placed the Port of Walvis Bay at 376th out of 405 ports globally.
Namport attributed the poor score partially to wider global and regional factors that “had a direct impact on port performance across the Southern African region,” as well as global issues, like the Red Sea crisis, and long-standing problems with port structures that hurt the performance of ports throughout the region.
The authority highlighted several measures to reverse the decline, such as the concessioning of the new container terminal to Terminal Investment Namibia, to improve operational efficiency and service quality, widening of the port entrance channel to accommodate larger vessels safely and efficiently, continued infrastructure upgrades, digitalization initiatives, as well as capacity building programs.
“We view the CPPI as a valuable benchmarking tool that helps us refine our processes and identify opportunities for greater efficiency,” said Elias Mwenyo, Namport’s executive for commercial.
“With our ongoing investments in infrastructure, equipment, and technology, we are confident that the future CPPI results will reflect the positive outcomes of our transformation efforts,” he added. Namibia has two main ports, namely the Port of Walvis Bay and the Port of Luderitz, both managed by Namport. (Xinhua)
