Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698749409539.pdf (Namibia)
CONTRIBUTION ON APROPRIATION BILL BY HON.LEEVI KATOMAMP Hon.
Deputy Speaker, I raise to make my contribution on the appropriation bill 2018 From the onset allow me to make use of this opportunity to thank the Honourable Calle Schlttwein Minister of Finance for the tabling of this budget I would like to start my intervention by commending the Ministry of Finance for having honored the SACU Agreement by way of introducing tax rates burdens on the respective excisable commodities which is anticipated to generate about 500 million.
This are some of the commendable effort to strengthen the revenue base of our country, as a matter of fact and in accordance with the statement by Hon.
Calle Schlettwein which says "This budget comes at a time after the Namibian economy hand endured its most precarious phase" I am in full agreement with the fact that this budget odd to ensure that funding are directed and sparingly utilized for the promotion of growth, job creation, minimization of inequality ,lessening of poverty and the empowerment of youth and women.
Whereas we take cognizance of the fact that we need to make deep but necessary budget cuts to ensure fiscal sustainability and protect macroeconomic stability, some aspect need to be considered essential and odd to be exempted from cutting, aspect such as the Individual Veterans Projects funding which has only be allocated with 1.5000 .00 in 2018/2019 and 2 000 000 in a subsequent financial year, one would of cores appreciate the fact that this interventions were put in place to serve as a recognition of the plight and in deed the selfless sacrifices and heroic contribution made by war veterans during the liberation struggle of our country which brought about freedom and independence we are enjoying today ,this allocation need to be revisited.
Another area of concerns is the allocation of the payment of once-off gratuity to the approved veterans of the liberation struggle which seem to have added up in the current financial year 2017/18.

As there is no further allocations made for 2019/2020/2021 respectively.
As a nation ready to face the future with vigor and determination we need to devise more mechanism and way of boosting and strengthening our revenue base, I am glad that the Ministry of Finance has put a tax incentive program to motivate businesses to pay the owed by them tax at an incentivized rate.after which appropriate measures will be employed against the tax defaulters and the implementation of tax administration reform through the roll-out of the integrated tax system and the establishment of the Namibia Revenue Agency.
If tax collection is properly administered, surely our revenue base will improve for better, by so doing we also need to guard against illicit financial flows an act ~ looting Africa ~,... millions of dollars.

In addition to those intervention we need to invest heavily in technology to boost innovation creativity amongst our youth.
I would like to point out that in our efforts to align resources to core national priorities and in deed in the effort to re priorities development program there are some planned projects that are perceived less important than others and they have been removed from the Development Programed Estimated Expenditure book of the entire EMTEF.
Some of these project in question were even allocated funds, but it is totally removed from the list, to my knowledge this projects were drown from the regional priorities after so many years beneficiaries out there have been expecting implementation but to the disappointment this project status is yet to be known.

Now the question, how will this project going to be handled and when?

(s In conclusion Hon.
Deputy Speaker as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee I will fail in my duty if I do not touch on the meager allocation resources to parliamentary Standing Committees that plays integral role of oversight function, for parliament to effectively and properly carrying itffunctions, the functionality of Committees is vital, in a sense that bills and motions are normally referred to committees for further action and scrutiny but then if committees do not have resources to enable them to perform and do toughly investigation through either public consultation or other ways, then the success of parliament functionality is at stagnation.
With this few intervention, I support the bill I thank you