Press releases

ITC to survey Namibian businesses on non-tariff measures

2 June 2016
ITC News
Business survey on NTM will capture procedural and regulatory barriers to trade

(Geneva/Windhoek) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) is to carry out a large-scale business survey to document the experiences of Namibian importers and exporters facing non-tariff measures (NTMs). This initiative is being implemented following an official request from Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development (MITSMED).

The survey was launched in Windhoek on 1 June at a stakeholders’ meeting that included representatives from several ministries and government agencies, trade and investment support institutions, the private sector and development organizations.

The business survey on NTMs will capture procedural and regulatory barriers to trade that enterprises experience in Namibia, in partner countries, or in transit through Namibia. It will be implemented in close partnership with the MITSMED and will be based on the established ITC methodology for NTM surveys that has been applied in more than 60 developing and developed countries. Around 500 interviews will be carried out between June and September 2016 by a team of interviewers from Vision Africa Research Services, a market-research organization based in Windhoek. All the interviewers have received extensive training by ITC.

Interviews will target companies in all export sectors – excluding minerals – across different regions in Namibia, and they will have a special focus on sectors with high development potential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The collected data will allow for a detailed analysis by product and partner country and an assessment of private-sector concerns regarding trade regulations. The survey results will serve as a basis for further stakeholder consultations, which will identify recommendations for specific interventions in affected sectors – and eventually implementation of recommendations and the development of action plans.

At the meeting, MITSMED Deputy Permanent Secretary Annascy Mwanyangapo encouraged all exporters to participate in the survey to ensure that the voice of the private sector is reflected.

Sébastien Turrel, Senior Trade Officer at ITC, said: ‘The NTM survey will reveal the practical actions needed to facilitate more trade, achieve export growth and realize strong developmental impact. It is also an excellent opportunity to further enhance collaboration between ITC and the Government of Namibia.’

Note to the Editor

Media interested in speaking to ITC technical experts are requested to please contact the below ITC representatives or visit www.ntmsurvey.org/namibia.

About ITC – ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. For more information, visit www.intracen.org. Follow ITC on Twitter: @ITCnews

Contacts ITC:

 

Jarle Hetland
Media Officer
Office of the Executive Director
International Trade Centre

Phone: +41 22 730 0145
Mobile: +41 79 582 91 80

E: Hetland [at] intracen.org (Hetland[at]intracen[dot]org)

 

 

 

Sébastien Turrel

Senior Trade Officer, Country Officer for Namibia

E: turrel [at] intracen.org (turrel[at]intracen[dot]org)

 

Samidh Shrestha

Analyst, Non-Tariff Measures Programme

E: shrestha [at] intracen.org (shrestha[at]intracen[dot]org)