Namibia Embassy Berlin -

Namibia Receives Technical, Financial Support from Germany

September 22, 2017

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany have committed to the Government of the Republic of Namibia a new amount of up to €130.5 million for bilateral Technical and Financial Cooperation at the 2017 Namibia-Germany Government Negotiations on our bilateral development cooperation. This comprises up to €100 million for Financial Cooperation projects /programmes and up to €30.5 million for Technical Cooperation projects /programmes.

This new commitment is in addition to a Note Verbal commitment made in 2016 and amounted to €3 million for Technical Cooperation, plus €28.5 million from Financial Cooperation commitments made in 2009, 2012 and 2013 that will now be reprogrammed to support other projects.

This brings the total new funding available for Technical and Financial Cooperation projects and programmes in 2016 and 2017, to €133.5 million equating to N$2 billion using the current exchange rates. Of the €133.5 million, €73.5 is grant support while €60 million is interest reduced loan.

Cooperation between the two governments focuses on three focal areas which are Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Economic Development and Transport/Logistics. This did not however disregard areas that are mutually agreed, which fall outside our co-operation.

Der Ausschuss für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft des Deutschen Bundestags besucht vom 1. bis 6. April 2017 Namibia. Die Delegation unter Leitung des Ausschussvorsitzenden Alois Gerig (CDU/CSU) gehören Artur Auernhammer (CDU/CSU), Hermann Färber (CDU/CSU), Carola Stauche (CDU/CSU), Rita Hagl-Kehl (SPD), Dr. Wilhelm Priesmeier (SPD) und Harald Ebner (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN) an.

Thematische Schwerpunkte der Delegationsreise waren insbesondere die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Landwirtschaft, die Bedeutung von Landreformen für den Agrarsektor im südlichen Afrika, die landwirtschaftliche Aus- und Weiterbildung, die Stärkung ländlicher Regionen, die Entwicklungschancen urbaner Landwirtschaft sowie die Perspektiven des Handels im Agrar- und Ernährungsbereich sein. Die Delegation besuchte zunächst den Norden Namibias und auch die Hauptstadt Windhoek.

Die Delegation unterhielt einen intensiven Meinungsaustausch mit Abgeordneten und Regierungsmitgliedern wie auch mit Repräsentanten von Bauernverbänden, Initiativen und Nichtregierungsorganisationen. Auch Gespräche mit den deutschen politischen Stiftungen, KfW und GIZ standen auf dem Besuchsprogramm der Delegation. Zudem besuchte die Delegation verschiedene landwirtschaftliche Betriebe, Projekte der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, agrarwissenschaftliche Forschungseinrichtungen und Universitäten, Empowerment-Projekte zur Stärkung landwirtschaftlicher Betriebsgründungen sowie Unternehmen der Lebensmittelwirtschaft.

Namibia, Germany sign shipping agreement

New Era, 2 February 2017

Windhoek-Following two days of negotiations, Germany and Namibia signed a bilateral merchant shipping agreement aimed at transforming Namibia into a logistics hub for the southern African region.

The agreement was signed by German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Director General Reinhard Klingen, and Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary Willem Goeiemann in Windhoek on Tuesday.

This agreement is bound to further strengthen and develop economic relations between the two countries and also promote Namibia’s transformation into a logistics hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The German negotiating team consisted of Klingen, German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Head of Department for International Maritime Policy, Peter Escherich, and Jürgen Göpel of the Department for International and National Affairs of Seafarers.

While the Namibian negotiating consisted of Goeiemann, Director of the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) Cornelius Bundje, Acting Director of Maritime Affairs, Captain Lucas Kufuna, Port Captain – Port of Walvis Bay, Pinehas Auene as well as representatives of Namibian Ports Authority (NamPort) and other senior officials from MWT, NAMFI, and the Office of the Attorney General.

Today the delegation is to visit NamPort and NAMFI in Walvis Bay in order to explore areas of cooperation.

Germany ranks first in the World Bank’s global Logistics Performance Index 2016.

For more news on the issue also click on Namibia Economist: "In a statement announcing the agreement, the two teams stated 'Shipping is the most cost-effective way to transport the vast majority of goods in international trade and will be central for global sustainable development and growth. Germany ranks first in the World Bank’s global Logistics Performance Index 2016. Short turn-around times, the interlinking of different modes of transport and advanced logistics strategies help make this possible. Under the agreement and the envisaged cooperation projects, German companies can provide this know-how to make a major contribution to more trade and growth in and with Africa.'”

NAMIBIA, GERMAN PEN FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL AGREEMENTS, 17 October 2016

Following the last Intergovernmental Negotiations on Development Cooperation between Namibia and Germany, today Hon. Tom Alweendo, Minister of Economic Planning and Director General of the National Planning Commission and H.E. Christian Matthias Schlaga, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany signed a Financial and a Technical Cooperation Agreement between Germany and Namibia totalling 71.9 million Euro.

At said negotiations in October 2015 both governments agreed to continue the successful cooperation in the three focal areas of Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Economic Development and Transport/Logistics. The importance of skilled labour for development was emphasised by all partners and is treated as a crosscutting issue in all focal areas, through support to vocational education and training as well as higher education.

Hon. Tom Alweendo emphasised that the focal areas of the cooperation are to support the Namibian Government in its efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment, to improve the population’s overall living conditions and to strengthen the country’s infrastructure, as well as to foster economic development. He said that all of Germany’s support is fully aligned to the Harambee Prosperity Plan and to Namibia’s National Development Plans. Ambassador Schlaga reiterated Germany’s commitment to remain a reliable partner despite Namibia’s status as an upper-middle income country.

The agreements include grants of 30 million Euro for projects to be financed through the German Development Bank (KfW). Individual projects to be funded include the extension and maintenance of the Namibian road system as well as infrastructure support to the extension of the UNAM campus in Ongwediva and Katima Mulilo. A new project will improve solid waste management in Namibia’s protected areas. Additional funding was provided for the finalization of the ongoing projects of the Namibia-German Special Initiative. The project will officially be closed at the end of the year.

A total of 39.9 million Euro will be implemented through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) for programmes such as the Promotion of Vocational Education and Training, Support to Land Reform, Sustainable Use of Namibia’s Mineral Potential, Strengthening of Institutional and Management Capacity of the Road Sector, Biodiversity-Management and Climate Change, Groundwater Management in Northern Namibia and Support to Conservancies.

Due to the historic connection between Namibia and Germany, their partnership has remained close and constructive ever since Namibia became independent in 1990. Development cooperation is a key factor in this partnership and Germany is Namibia’s largest bilateral development partner.

The next bilateral Negotiations on Development Cooperation are envisaged to take place in Namibia in 2017.