Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698835280283.pdf (Namibia)
CONTRIBUTION TO 'rns APPROPRIATION BILL, 2012/2013 BY HON.

KANDY NEHOVA, MP.

RDP, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REPUBLIC OF NAMmIA, 14 MARCH 2012 Honourable Speaker, Hon.

Members of this August House, I wish to join other members of this August House in congratulating the Minister of Finance, Hon.

Sarah Kuungelwa- Amadhila for once again tabling the annual budget for the financial year 2012 -2013.
As provided for in the Namibian Constitution under Chapter 16, Article 126, section (1), the Minister in charge of the Department of Finance shall, at least once every year and thereafter at such interim stages as may be necessary, present for the consideration of the National Assembly estimates of revenue, expenditure and income for the prospective year.
The Constitution further provides that the National Assembly shall consider such estimates and pass pursuant thereto such Appropriation Acts as are in its opinion necessary to meet the financial requirements of the State from time to time.

Hon.
Hon.

Speaker, The point I wish to emphasize here is that it is the National Assembly after having been presented the estimates by the Minister of Finance which shall consider such estimates and pass them as are in its opinion necessary to meet the financial requirements of the State.

This means that the National Assembly has the overall power to ultimately decide on the actual amounts required for each vote presented the National by the Minister.
That is to say, the current practice or view that 1 Assembly is rather an institution for rubber stamping the estimates as drafted by Cabinet is contrary to the letter and spirit of the referred Constitutional provision.

Hon.

Speaker, Hon.

Members of the House, Like in the preceding years, the Minister of Finance has emphasized on the need to address the acute problems of unemployment, poverty and hunger particularly in rural communities.
To address these pressing national problems the Government has, as from last year, introduced a "special development programme", referred to as Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (TIPEEG) to run over a period of three years.

The much lauded programme has not been accompanied by a comprehensive study to create outlining potential economic projects which would serve as conduit employment, generate income and reduce poverty and hunger.
The government has rather introduced this programme for short term job creation.

This will certainly not resolve the problems of poverty and hunger as a long term solution.

In addition, the Government was very categorical in reassuring that this programme will create hundred and four thousand jobs.

We would like to receive a feedback from the Hon.

Minister of Finance as to how many jobs have been created this far, one year after TIPEEG has been introduced.
the disbursement of funds of TIPEEG is just In the absence of any feedback in term of jobs created through TIPEEG, one would conclude that the usual way of Government allowing the corrupt misuse of state money through swindling and embezzlement like it happened in other cases such as GIPF, ODC, Social Security and many more.

2 Hon.
2 Hon.

Speaker, Further, I would also like to get clarity as to the relationship between TIPEEG and the already existing budgeted for, capital projects under various government departments and agencies.

For example, the Ministry of Works and Transport has a capital budget for the rehabilitation of many high ways and roads throughout the country, but TIPEEG also covers the construction of roads and other infrastructure.

Hon.

Speaker, Are we talking of programmes, that is, TIPEEG and Capital Budget?
the same government projects being financed by two Hon.

Speaker, Honorable Members ofthis August House, The Road map for socio-economic development of Namibia is prescribed in clear terms and references in various articles and sections in the Namibian Constitution.

I will take extra pain to quote just some of those very important provisions which were supposed to guide us in our quest for socio -economic development.
Chapter 11, Article 98 refer to the Principles of economic order under section (l) and I quote "The economic order of Namibia shall be based on the principles of a mixed economy with the objective of securing economic growth, prosperity and life of human dignity for all Namibians.

Section (2) states that the Namibian economy shall be based inter alia, on the following forms of ownership.
3 Joint Public and Private; • Public' , • Private; • • Co-operative; • Co-ownership; • Small-scale family; the private sector is the "engine" of economic The fallacious assumption that in Namibia is certainly in contradiction with the above stated development economic order that recognizes clearly the role of the public sector and public private partnership.
The President and Cabinet have a sacred responsibility to intervene directly or indirectly in the planning, execution, coordination and control over the Govermnent should refrain from abdicating its responsibility.

the management of our economy.


It should be emphasized that the Constitution under Chapter 17, Article 129, Further, refer to the National Planning Commission and in section (1) it states that there shall be established in the Office of the President a National Planning Commission, whose task shall be to plan the priorities and direction of National Development.
the National Planning Commission is the principal Agency that advises the President Short of this and Cabinet on all matters pertaining to economic planning.

the National Planning Commission is merely used as a constitutional provision, this recipient Govermnent Agency of foreign financial donations.

When shall Govermnent Agency fully execute its constitutional mandate which is to plan the priorities and direction of national development?

In this regard, Hon.


Speaker, The Constitution under Chapter 11, Article 95 also provides among others the promotion and maintenance of the welfare of the people in particular the ensurance that senior citizens are entitled to and do receive a regular pension adequate for the maintenance of a decent standard of living and the enjoyment of social and cultural opportunities .
In this regard, it should be clearly understood by the Govermnent 4 that providing social grants and other amemties to senior citizens and other vulnerable Namibians is certainly not an act of goodwill from the Government but it is a fulfillment of a constitutional obligation.

Further, the Constitution under the same Chapter requires that subordinate legislation be enacted by the Parliament of Namibia to regulate the provision of the referred social amenities.

Hon.

Speaker, Hon.
Hon.

Speaker, Hon.

Members of this August House, I am on record in commending the Govermnent for implementing realistic and patriotic policies particularly with regard to borrowing funds from external sources.

In her budget statement, the Hon.

Minister of Finance has stated that the Govermnent would borrow funds locally and from the open market in order to finance the budget deficit.
So far, the Government has prudently been avoiding borrowing money from well known international institutions, mainly based in the capitals of decadent capitalist Europe.

What these institutions are doing to their fellow European countries particularly to Greece should serve as a lesson to Namibia being an economically dependent country.

financial I thank you.

5