RITES signs MoU with Namibia

Mumbai, March 2008: RITES Ltd., an ISO 9001-2000 certified multi-disciplinary public sector undertaking in the fields of transport, infrastructure and related technologies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TransNamib Holdings Ltd. The MOU was signed during the recent visit of the delegation of Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, Namibia led by H.E. Joel N. Kaapanda, Minister of Works, Transport and Communication.

RITES will provide assistance and expertise in upgrading and rehabilitation of existing railway and other infrastructures including train control system using GPS based technology; rehabilitation of old locomotives and supply of new cape gauge rail cars, technical and managerial assistance, advisory services for Public Private Partnership and training for commercial and operating staff.

There is a proposal for a new railway line in Namibia from Tsumeb to Ondangwa and on to Oshakati and Oshikango at the Angolan border. The new line is planned to eventually link to the Angolan railway system at a point near Cassinga. Namibia is served by a busy port, which not only meets its requirement, but also the requirement of Zambia, Botswana and Angola as they are land locked countries and Angola does not have a fully developed port for itself. The new railway line would facilitate easy and faster movement of containers to the port.

About RITES

RITES Ltd., a Government of India Enterprise was established in 1974, under the aegis of Indian Railways. RITES is incorporated in India as a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and is governed by a Board of Directors which includes persons of eminence from various sectors of engineering and management. It provides a comprehensive array of services under a single roof and believes n transfer of technology to client organizations. In overseas projects, RITES actively pursues and develops cooperative links with local consultants / firms, as means of maximum utilization of local resources and as an effective instrument of sharing its expertise. RITES is internationally recognized as a leading consultant with operational experience of 60 countries in Africa, South East Asia, Middle East and Latin America. Most of RITES foreign assignments are for National Governments and other apex organizations.