The president of the United Democratic Fund (UDF), Hendrik Gaobaeb, raised concerns around the ongoing dispute between the Kunene Regional Council and the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, highlighting wasteful use of public funds on private lawyers.
Discussions on the Appropriation Bill commenced today, with MPs stating that more should be put towards development projects rather than operational costs, which now exceed N$80 billion, with only N$3,6 billion allocated towards development expenditure.
Finance Minister Erica Shafudah will table the budget tomorrow in the National Assembly.
The national budget outlines key policy directions, spending priorities, and economic interventions that will directly impact households, businesses, and public institutions.
Research conducted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) indicates that Namibia is on track to spend approximately N$1.6 billion subsidising political parties represented in Parliament over a 10-year period.
The Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Esperance Luvindao, was more displeased than happy when she recently inaugurated a multi-million dollar office building for the Oshakati Hospital management team.
In her view, there is more need to build health facilities than offices.
The Minister of Finance has said the government does not borrow money for consumption purposes, adding that domestic revenue is sufficient to cover operational expenses.
This was Ericah Shafudah's response to concerns raised by members of parliament regarding the recently tabled Appropriation Bill.
Namibia's total budget requirement to meet its Universal Health Coverage targets is estimated at N$16.1 billion.
The Namibian government spends around N$7 billion yearly on social grants, with old-age pensions accounting for nearly half of the total.
Michael Humavindu, the Executive Director in the Ministry of Finance, cautions that raising the pension to a mere N$2,000 could push the bill close to N$9 billion.
The Namibian Cabinet has authorised the sale of the ageing government jet, Falcon V5-NAM, which is currently valued at N$95.9 million.
This was announced as part of the latest Cabinet decisions, following a decision-making meeting.
