With only one and half months left of its financial year, the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has recorded an increase of 252 vessel (24 percent) calls during April 2021-January 2022, in comparison to the same period in 2020/2021’s financial year.
The increase in vessel calls was predominantly due to increased petroleum vessels, Namibian and foreign fishing vessels, foreign tugs, and research vessels. An increase of 16 percent was also noted in vessel gross tonnage.
“Namport continues to record positive growth in its business dealings amidst the current economic turmoil, which the world is still recovering from,” Elisa Hasheela, Namport’s acting executive, commercial services said.
The authority also revealed an increase in its Bulk and Break Bulk (BBB) volumes with an improvement of 173 587 tonnes (five percent), year on year.
“The growth is mainly due to increased exports of 251 334 tonnes (20 percent) of commodities such as marble, ship spares, petroleum products, and bulk salt,” Hasheela said adding that during the past two decades, Namport has recorded substantial growth, in both size and significance, from a minor national port to a key regional and international role player.
“With its recent substantial infrastructural investment in expanding the facilities and its capabilities at the Port of Walvis Bay, it is set to increase its relevance even more. The Namibian Ports Authority is well on the trajectory of realising its vision of becoming the best performing seaports in Africa,” he further explained.
Recently a consignment of approximately 400 brand new bakkies is expected to be exported via the Port of Walvis Bay annually to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This timely boost comes after RL SHIPPING SARL was awarded a contract from the Toyota DRC exclusive dealer SFCE CFAO Group to transit their regular fleet of brand new vehicles from the African distribution platform in Zeebruge (Belgium) to Lubumbashi and Kolwezi DRC using the Port of Walvis Bay for transit.
“The Namibian Ports Authority remains the port of choice for vessels to make use of as it not only offers its cliental fast services but also safe storage facilities at the convenience of its clients,” Pasat said further highlighting that last week, another vessel carrying 355 vehicle called on the port.
“The Helios Ray RoRo Vessel called the Port of Walvis Bay to discharge 355 vehicles destined for various local and across the border customers and out of these, 52 brand new pickup Toyota Hilux vehicles were destined for CFAO Motors RDS, BP 59 in Lubumbashi.
“The consignment of these new vehicles to DRC comes after the successful pilot run of a similar operation that took place late last year when 25 previously owned vehicles were delivered to CFAO, the client opted to increase the cargo to the current 53 vehicles,” Namport said at the time.
The other vehicle units are destined for local and various SADC markets such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Botswana.
Helios Ray is a vehicles carrier built in 2015 and currently sailing under the flag of Bahamas.