NamPort played an important role in projecting the image of Namibia both regionally and abroad, said Transport Minister Joel Kaapanda on Tuesday at a promotional event of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) in Windhoek. The development of the port of Walvis Bay as a regional hub port and the promotion of the Walvis Bay Corridor had an impact on investment perceptions of Namibia as a whole, Kaapanda added. "We understand the need for the SADC region to become truly economically integrated, and the Port of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay Corridor development initiative represent important contributors in the context of such anticipated regional integration", he said. The importance of Lüderitz as a port of entry should not be under estimated and significant role it can play in the development of southern part of Namibia, which will facilitate trade linkages to South Africa, particularly the Northern Cape Province. "The railway line between Aus and Lüderitz is progressing well and we are looking at the completion of this by 2008", the minister noted.