Transport and Communication Sector Reform - Namibian/Swedish Development Co-operation 1990-2003

Initiatives for the reform of the Namibian transport and communication sectors began already before Namibian independence, which was gained in March 1990, in consultations between the SWAPO leadership in exile and the Swedish government. The latter supported the reform through its development cooperation agency, Sida, under various Namibian-Swedish development cooperation agreements. The Namibian executing agency was the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (MWTC), which became the Ministry of Works and Transport in 2009, after the responsibility for communication was transferred to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

The major part of the reform was completed in 2000, particularly the road sector reform, and support under the last development cooperation agreement was phased out over a period until 2003. Some reform work was still in progress by the time of the Namibian-Swedish development cooperation review in 2006. This was mainly funded by the Namibian government, but also supported by technical assistance from the German development cooperation partner 'Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit', GTZ.

Whilst over the extensive reform period a variety of reform objectives have been stated, some of a political nature, it may be said that the overall guiding objective was to enhance efficiency in the transport and communication sectors.

A substantial basis for the reform was laid in the 'Blue Book', as it became known: 'Study on Transport and Communications in Namibia', prepared with the assistance of Sida and published to coincide with the Namibian independence day on 21 March 1990.

The reform comprised broadly the following:

• Establishment of TransNamib Limited, a State-owned Enterprise having the Government of Namibia as the sole shareholder, to take over the railway network and operations and the port of Lüderitz in Namibia from the South African Railways and Harbours;
• White Paper on Transport Policy;
• Establishment of the Namibian Ports Authority to take over the port of Walvis Bay from the South African Railways and Harbours and the port of Lüderitz from TransNamib Limited;
• Inter-ministerial Committee of Technical Experts to develop a system of road user charges;
• MWTC2000 Project, to transfer regulatory and operational activities in the MWTC to either state-owned companies, authorities, agencies or the private sector;
• Restructuring and institutional development on:
  • public roads;
  • the airports;
  • the air navigation services, and regulation of aviation safety;
  • meteorology;
  • regulation of maritime safety;
  • government garage, government printer, stores and auxiliary services;
  • some functions performed by the Department of Works;
• National Transportation Master Plan Study, for roads and aerodrome infrastructure development, the introduction of the Namibian Traffic Information System, the development of road user charges, and a new draft Roads Act;
• Redrafting of the legislation for TransNamib Ltd, involving the separation of rail operations from railway infrastructure, which was transferred to the State;
• Governance and supervision of State Owned Enterprises, involving the development, implementation and supervision of performance agreements;
• Drafting and amendments of laws, including: Namibian Ports Authority Act, Post and Telecommunications Companies Establishment Act, Road Traffic and Transport Act and Regulations, legislation for civil aviation and maritime affairs;
• Telecommunications policy development;
• Shipping and port development policy;
• Accident investigation unit;
• Reform of road safety, including replacing the National Road Safety Council of Namibia with a Road Safety Agency.

The governments of Namibia and Sweden, respectively through the MWTC and Sida, launched the 'Participatory Review and Evaluation of Co-operation between Namibia and Sweden in the Transport and Communications Sectors' in 2005. The outcome of the review was presented and discussed at public workshops on 7 and 9 March 2006. The report and the key supporting documentation used for the review are hosted on a web site, which can be accessed by clicking here.