THE National Handling Services (NHS) is on a recapitalisation drive for the Walvis Bay Dry Port in Namibia, a development meant to improve the facility through acquiring different pieces of equipment.
In an interview on the sidelines of the NHS Strategic Review and Planning Workshop in Bulawayo, Board Chair Advocate Godwin Nyengedza said the dry port is key in handling cargo, not only coming to Zimbabwe, but also elsewhere in the region.
Advocate Nyengedza said the facility also plays a key role for local exporters, stating that they used to send their cargo via Durban, with Walvis Bay opening a good channel to send their cargo through to West Africa and America.
He said the facility has been facing some challenges in the past. However, he said they have managed to grow their “book” and are looking forward to funding their operations, noting that the facility has made a profit of about US$7 million to date.
“We want to leverage on that as we get funding, and we are also engaging potential partnerships in terms of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and build-operate-transfer (BOTs) arrangements, and maybe by this time next year, we will have a better story to tell,” said Adv Nyengedza.
“We are on a huge recapitalisation drive; we have been speaking to Treasury and I’m glad to tell you that there are green lights or green shoots.
“Potentially, with recapitalisation, we will be able to acquire various pieces of equipment in Walvis Bay, and maybe happy days are ahead.”
Experts say the Walvis Bay Dry Port is strategically located near important trading routes and is expected to enhance Zimbabwe’s access to different global markets and drive economic development.
The dry port is regarded as a game-changer in providing a strategic and cheaper gateway to the Atlantic Ocean for manufacturers and international businesses in Southern Africa. It provides a strategic gateway to markets in North and South America, West Africa, and Europe.
The facility has achieved significant gains and has had a positive impact on the economy since its establishment five years ago.
The port plays a critical role in promoting intra-regional trade while growing the country’s exports within SADC, with local businesses being encouraged to utilise the facility to expand their businesses.
Adv Nyengedza said the NHS has managed to achieve its turnaround strategy in order to optimise its operations and the turnaround of flights coming into the country.
He also said the NHS has managed to double the volume of the cold chain facility in Harare to enhance the cargo coming in and out of the country.
“We have also commissioned the Khami Prestige Lounge. At the same time, we have managed to acquire various pieces of equipment to operationalise our airports, and that has been done without borrowing, and has been sponsored internally, which is great,” said Adv Nyengedza.
“In line with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), we have a couple of warehouse plans. We want to enhance warehousing in Bulawayo, and we also have a piece of land in Victoria Falls that we want to erect a warehouse there for the cargo getting in and out of Victoria Falls.”
“Closer to home, we continue to implement the initiatives that we started under NDS1. In terms of equipment, some of our equipment is a bit old so we continue, in as much as we are also revamping and repairing, we believe that with technology, we need to acquire new pieces of equipment, and we are on that drive getting into NDS2.”
In the speech which was read on her behalf by Mr Takura Vengesa, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Eng Joy Makumbe said:
“The ministry appreciates the investments that NHS has made towards enhancing your operational efficiency and also safety at our airports through acquisition of equipment such as transporters, conveyor belt loaders, baggage tags, staff minibuses, fork-lifts, and explosives detection technology.”
“We also acknowledge NHS infrastructure development projects, including the construction and refurbishment of your Khami Lounge at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, which has greatly improved the passenger experience.
“Equally commendable is also your investment in upgrading cargo handling infrastructure to boost import and export capacity, as well as the construction and furnishing of the two schools that you undertook, which is Majiji Primary School in Matabeleland North and Mugamba School in Manicaland, and also your support to schools with solar-powered boreholes as part of your corporate social responsibility.”-herald
