Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698749789343.pdf (Namibia)
Republic of Namibia BUDGET MOTIVATION SPEECH APPROPRIATION: FINANCIAL YEAR 2021/2022 VOTE 36 PRESENTED BY HONOURABLE DOREEN SIOKA, MP MINISTER OF GENDER EQUALITY, POVERTY ERADICATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE 28 April 2021 1 | P a g e Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members, I rise to introduce and motivate to this august House the budget for Vote 36, Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare for the 2021/22 Financial Year for support and approval.
Vote 36 budget appropriation for 2021/22 Financial Year, amounts to Five billion, Four Hundred Forty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 5 444 795 000.00).

Allow me to thank Honorable Iipumbu Shiimi Minister of Finance and his team, for the preparation and presentation of the Budget, despite constraints in the national fiscal space, further exacerbated by the global Covid 19 pandemic and recurrent natural catastrophes.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole House Committee Honourable Members, An amount of Five billion, Four Hundred Twenty-One million, Two Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 5 421 242 000) has been allocated to the Operational Budget, while an amount of Twenty-Three Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Three Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 23 553 000) is allocated to the Development Budget for the 2021/22 Financial Year.
The Development Budget of the Ministry pertains, inter alia, to the construction and renovation of homes of safety and shelters, renovation, and maintenance of Namibia Children’s Home and After School Centre, construction of community empowerment centers, as well as the construction and renovation of Regional and Constituency offices.
2 | P a g e I will now present the 2021/22 budget allocation to the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare under Vote 36 as per the Ministry’s main divisions as follows: MAIN DIVISION 1: OFFICE OF THE MINISTER 1.1 The primary purpose of this Program is to provide political directives and update Cabinet and Parliament on Ministerial policies and facilitate the coordination of functions and resource management.
1.2 A total amount of Seven Million, Two Hundred and Forty-Three Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$7, 243, 000.00) is allocated to this main division, which caters for the expenditure in the Minister’s office and the three Deputy Minsters ’offices.
MAIN DIVISION 2: ADMINSTRATION AND GENERAL SERVICES 2.1 The primary purpose of programmes under this main division is to provide efficient and effective administration and support services in Information Technology, Finance, Human Resources and Auxiliary Services to all the Main Divisions of the Ministry; and to ensure that the image of the Ministry is upheld, and internal control systems are adhered to.
2.2 A total amount of One Hundred Forty-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Twelve Thousand Namibian Dollars (N$147, 612,000.00) is allocated to this main division which inclusive of all decentralised functions and activities of the Ministry.
3 | P a g e MAIN DIVISION 3: GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT: 3.1 The programmes and policies implemented under this main division are aimed at the implementation of the Gender Policy’s Coordination Mechanism, development, and training of women in politics, and in public and private sector leadership.
3.2 A total amount of Twenty-Seven Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand Namibia Dollars of N$27 421 000.00 is allocated to the programmes under the main division Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

This amount is inclusive of projects aimed at combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Trafficking in Persons (TIP), promotion of gender equity, women’s empowerment and gender responsive budgeting and personnel expenditure.
MAIN DIVISION 4: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERADICATION 4.1 This Program aims primarily to improve support to Income Generating Activities (IGAs), strengthen management of community development programmes which are geared towards the social and economic upliftment of Namibians.
4.2 During 2020/2021 financial year, 72 beneficiaries (50 females and 22 males), were supported with materials and equipment to establish and expand their micro businesses through the Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) Support Programme.

4.3 The number of children enrolled at Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres stood at 97 619 (59 463 females and 38 156 males) as per 31 March 2021.
4 | P a g e 4.4 As part of the Ministry’s mandate to improve access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and services the Ministry provided monthly subsidies to 1307 ECD Educarers from 981 ECD Centres during 2020/2021 financial year.
4.5 A total amount of Forty-Five Million and Forty-Seven Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 45 047 000.00), is allocated to this main division for the support and empowerment of community micro-business through the IGAs programmes, enrolment of children into Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres and provision of support in the form of monthly subsidies to Educarers; and personnel expenditure.
MAIN DIVISION 5: CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION 5.1 The primary purpose of this Program is to improve care and protection for the well-being of children.
5.2 The Ministry under this main division is ensuring the provision of childcare and protection services, food, and rations for 140 children in need of protective services placed at Namibia Children’s Home, 148 children enrolled in the After School Centre`s School Integration programme, as well as the provision of subsidies to 23 private Residential Child Care Facilities in line with the Child Care and Protection Act, 2015 (Act 3 of 2015) and its Regulations.
5.3 A total amount of Seventy Million, Four Hundred and Seventy- Eight Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$70 478 000.00), is allocated to this main division which includes programmes and activities aimed at the provision of childcare and protection services, food rations for Namibia Children’s Home and After School Centre.

The amount is also inclusive of personnel expenditure.

5 | P a g e 5.4 The Ministry further plans to provide basic logistical support to Farm Kaukurus no.
79 Unit B, a resettlement farm which the Ministry acquired for the main purpose of effectively addressing the complex challenges of children living and working on the streets.

A total amount of Two million and Three Hundred Thousand Namibia Dollars) N$ 2 300 000.00, is allocated to this capital project for the 2021/22 financial year.
MAIN DIVISION 6: SOCIAL PROTECTION SERVICES Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee, Honourable Members, The bulk of the Ministerial operational budgetary allocation goes towards the provision of social safety nets to the poor and vulnerable Namibians.

The total allocation to this main division amounts to 88.5% of the Ministry’s Operational Budget.
6.1 The primary purpose of the Programmes under this main division is to ensure timely payment and facilitation of Social Assistance, Funeral Benefits and Food Provision to eligible beneficiaries.

6.2 The total numbers of social grant beneficiaries administered by the Ministry currently stands at 334 260 vulnerable children, 191 153 pensioners, and 46 559 persons with disabilities, respectively.
These represent a total coverage of 98% for old age grant beneficiaries, 74% disability grant beneficiaries and 60% children grant beneficiaries.

The Food Bank programme is currently benefiting 42 081 urban and peri- urban households across all fourteen regions.

6 | P a g e 6.3 As part of Government’s commitment to social progression, the Ministry has developed a Social Protection Policy, which has since been approved by Cabinet (Cabinet Decision No.

4th /23.03.21/009).
4th /23.03.21/009).

The main aim of the Social Protection Policy is to ensure a comprehensive social protection system that addresses risks and vulnerabilities of all Namibians throughout the life cycle.
6.4 A total amount of Five Billion, Ten Million, Six Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$ 5 010 649 000.00) is allocated to this Programme for the 2021/2022 Financial Year, towards the provision of social grants to pensioners, people with disabilities, child welfare grants, food bank programme, funeral cover, and personnel expenditure.
MAIN DIVISION 7: DISSABILITY AFFAIRS 7.1 The programmes and activities under this main division are aimed at ensuring improved livelihoods of persons with disabilities.

7.2 The Ministry offered financial support to 65 students with disability (41 females and 24 males) at tertiary institutions during the 2020/21 Financial Year.

The support included tuition fees, accommodation, transport allowance, language interpreter as well as assistive devices.
7.3 The Ministry has further supported 273 persons with severe disabilities, by providing them with basic supplies such as nappies, formula milk, portable showers, and toilets.

These items were acquired during the previous financial year and will distributed to identified beneficiaries across all regions of the country.
7 | P a g e 7.4 A total amount of Twenty Million, Four Hundred and Twenty- Six Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$20 426 000.00) is allocated to this main division for 2021/2022 Financial Year, inclusive of financial support to disability students at tertiary institutions and provision of basic commodities to persons with severe disabilities and personnel expenditure.
MAIN DIVISION 8: POLICY, PLANNING AND RESEARCH 8.1 The primary aim of this programme is to review progress on the implementation of programmes, undertake ongoing monitoring and evaluation, as well as to design the coordination mechanism of the programmes across all Offices/Ministries/Agencies (OMAs) and State- Owned Enterprises (SOEs).

The main division is also responsible for coordinating the capital projects of the Ministry.
8.2 A total amount of Twenty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Three Namibian Dollars (N$27, 983, 000.00) is allocated to this main division for the 2021/22 Financial Year for the coordination of Ministerial programmes pertaining to policy and research.

MAIN DIVISION 9: MARGINILISED COMMUNITIES 9.1 The programmes and activities under this main division are aimed at livelihoods of marginalised sustained ensuring communities and to ensure that they are integrated into society.
improved and 9.2 There are 824 learners from various marginalised communities enrolled at respective primary and secondary schools in various regions, benefiting from the Education Support Programme under this main division; and 346 students are registered at tertiary institutions across the country.
8 | P a g e 9.3 A total amount of Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Namibia Dollars N$ 87 936 000.00 is allocated to this Main Division for the 2021/2022 Financial Year, for the implementation the Marginalized Education and Livelihoods Support Programmes and personnel expenditure.
Honourable Chairperson of the Whole Committee, Honourable Members: It is now my honour to present to this august House the expenditure of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare under Vote 36 for the Financial Year 2021/22 which amounts to Five Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand Namibia Dollars (N$5 444 795 000.00), for your kind consideration and approval.

I THANK YOU!

9 | P a g e