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Work starts on Okahandja pharma plant
Work starts on Okahandja pharma plant

Work starts on Okahandja pharma plant

Jemima Beukes
The government's plan to establish its own pharmaceutical plant at Okahandja is finally out of the starting blocks.

It would appear as if the government's previous plan to build a central medical store and public health laboratory, for which N$54 million was budgeted in the 2013/14 financial year, has fallen by the wayside.

Deputy trade minister Pieter van der Walt this week told Namibian Sun that the plan had been finalised and operations at the site had begun.

Van der Walt could not say which engineering company was appointed for this project.

“The cost estimate is not yet finalised, but it will be a government-funded project targeting both the local and SADC region,” he said.

According to Van der Walt, the project will fall under his ministry with the assistance of the health ministry and the Offshore Development Company (ODC).

The ODC also falls under the trade ministry. Besides serving investors to Namibia, it also develops and leases industrial and business sites to entrepreneurs.

This project will be executed in close cooperation with the Cuban government, and an agreement in this regard is expected to be signed soon.

Okahandja mayor Congo Hindjou confirmed that 14 hectares of land was donated to the ministry.

“They have started levelling the ground already and some of our young people are already employed there. I am very excited about this new venture, not only because of its magnitude but because it will elevate living standards in the town.”

Cuban ambassador to Namibia, Giraldo Mazola confirmed to Namibian Sun that his government had pledged to provide technical support to get the venture off the ground.

“Perhaps some Cuban engineers will come and assist too. You know, factories and hospitals cannot be built at the same standard as regular buildings, they need specific qualities. But our discussions are going well,” he said.

“Cuba has created many centres of research and training and its research is very close to production, which is why 80% of the medicines used by Cubans are produced in Cuba. With the export of vaccines and medicines Cuba makes about US$300 million every year.”

JEMIMA BEUKES

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 212.71/OZ UP +1.00% | Copper US$ 3.98/lb DOWN -0.0023 | Zinc US$ 2 448.60/T DOWN -0.33% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.15/BBP UP +0.88% | Platinum US$ 902.18/OZ UP +0.82% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.93 | EUR to NAD 20.49 | CNY to NAD 2.63 | USD to NAD 18.99 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.1 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.3 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.99 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 212.71/OZ UP +1.00% | Copper US$ 3.98/lb DOWN -0.0023 | Zinc US$ 2 448.60/T DOWN -0.33% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.15/BBP UP +0.88% | Platinum US$ 902.18/OZ UP +0.82%