The government will set up a trade forum to promote regional and international trade and to keep in regular contact with Namibia’s private sector, Cabinet decided last week. Cabinet noted the necessity of setting up a mechanism for consultation and cooperation between the government and the private sector and approved the concept of the National Trade Forum as a cooperation platform without regulatory or policy making powers. Trade fora are a modern platform introduced in most countries in the past few years.

Namibia has been lacking a formal mechanism through which the Government and the private sector can consistently and systematically engage each other on issues of strategic importance to the country’s promotion of trade and investment in the global economy. The National Trade Forum will deliberate on trade issues, especially trade negotiations, market access, trade measures and regulations, revision of trade agreements and product and market development, according to the Cabinet briefing paper. The Forum’s membership will be composed of the main economic stakeholders in the public and private sectors and it will have 24 members – 13 from the public sector and 11 from the private sector. The Forum will meet once every two months, while extra-ordinary meetings will take place as the need arises. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will be the convenor of the Forum.