[Namibia] South African Customs Union launches portal to ease regional trade and economic data access

South African Customs Union has launched a statistical database portal that will make it easier to access economic and trade data on the region. The union which is headquartered in Windhoek Namibia comprises of five countries including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The Sacu trade and statistical database portal is an online platform which will provide economic and trade data on member states in a central location that is accessible to all stakeholders and beyond.

The Sacu secretariat said it has developed the statistical portal in response to the increasing requests for Sacu trade and economic data from both external and internal stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch, Sacu executive secretary Paulina Elago said the portal will assemble economic and trade data on the member states, while accessing the portal is free and can be done in the comfort of wherever the information searcher is.

“As a user, you just need to register, and you will immediately have access. This is a public good, and we have therefore ensured that it is user-friendly and easily accessible,” she noted.

Elago said the site contains modules like the merchandise trade statistics, national accounts and consumer price index and exchange rates, amongst others.
“The portal will serve as a tool to monitor the performance of Sacu members in achieving the objective of economic development, industrialisation and competitiveness,” she added.

Elago said the portal will further inform the processes of policy planning and development, as well as trade negotiations. The relevance of the site is dependent on it being timeously updated through collaborative undertakings between the key stakeholders involved.

“I appeal to our stakeholders to make timely updates available to the secretariat in order to keep the database updated,” she noted. Elago further encouraged the general public at large in the Sacu region and outside to utilise the database.

“I implore you to provide feedback or suggestions on how it can regularly be improved,” advised Elago. The National Planning Commission's public relations officer, Fillemon Nangonya, told The Namibian yesterday that the launch of Sacu's data portal is a good move.

“It is a great move that will complement already existing statistics sites, especially that of the Namibia Statistics Agency,” he said. “This shall then enhance public information sharing and support evidence based planning both for the government and the private sector,” added Nangonya.

www.sacu.int