Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698935299302.pdf (Namibia)
CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENERAL DEBATE ON THE APPROPRIATION BILL, B 3 OF 2019 (BUDGET) BY HON DR PEYA MUSHELENGA, MP MINISTER OF URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT National Assembly, Windhoek 03 April 2019 Honourable Deputy Speaker Honourable Members I raise to contribute to the General Debate on the Appropriation Bill.

the past years.

Generally, The Ministry of Finance should be commended for the efforts that it has been making in revenue collection in developing collecting revenue over For in tax administrations.
countries are low due to inefficiencies and malpractices example, in their publication titled Why do developing countries tax so little, published in the Journal of Economic Perspective, 1 Timothy Besley and Torsten Persson state that on average tax-to-Gross Domestic Product ratio among developing countries stands at between 10 to 20%, whereas for developed countries it stands at about 40%.
It is pleasing to note that the trends in Namibia's revenue collection illustrate a 27.4% tax-to-GDP ratio for the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year, with the previous fiscal year's tax-to- the GDP ratio standing at 28.3. fiscal year and 91 % in the previous fiscal year.
Given the tax's Budget in the current the proposed increase in sin taxes and significant effect on the overall budget, the broadening of tax base by way of collecting revenue from all incomes earned from foreign sources and from business entities of charitable and religious institutions.

There is logic in taxing these business entities as they are distinct that pay dividends to their shareholders, who are then exempted from tax.
tax revenue represents 89.73% of legal personalities, It is a fact I support (GDP) that Honourable Deputy Speaker Some Honourable Members in this august House criticised the budged, giVing an impression that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Their arguments are, however, not backed by any statistic data or empirical evidence from researches.
I would like to submit that injection into the there is capital with the downturn of the economy, the allocation of economy by giving lifeline to economic sectors.

Accordingly, I support N$ 12 billion to the economic and infrastructure sector.

This amount includes railway network rehabilitation, which I believe will facilitate easing the burden of cargo transport on the road network.
Wim Naude and Marianne Matthee 2 put forth in their paper titled The Significance of Transport Costs in Africa, punished in the United Nations University twice as high as Policy Brief that transport costs faced by African countries are almost the world average.

They maintain that: it is important that Lack of adequate transport infrastructure makes it difficult for firms to distribute their products and to obtain economies of scale.
The type of goods produced also affects a country's ability to reap economies of scale and achieve reductions in per unit transport costs.

I applaud provisions in the current budget for the allocation of N$ 116 Accordingly, financial year and a total of N$ 319 million in the Medium million in the current Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, for the upgrading roads between Gobabis to Otjinene and from Gobabis to Aminus and from Aminus to Aranos to bitumen standard.
2 Besley, T. and Persson, T., 2014, Why do developing Economic Perspectives, 28 (4).

pp.

99-120.

Naude W. And Matthew M., 2007, The significance of transport costs in Africa, University Poliucy Brief, NO.5.

countries tax so little?

in Journal of in United Nations 2 thus, the upgrading of Swakopmund increase economic activities This will enhance the transportation of goods and, the allocation of N$ 313 million within Omaheke and Hardap regions.
Similarly, financial year and a total allocation of N$ 468 million in the current MTEF in the current period for to Kamanjab road, which will eventually facilitate trade between Namibia and her northern neighbour Angola.

These projects will boost the construction industry and provide employment during the construction phase.

to fail as most of our SMEs from the previous This industry is too important disadvantaged groups are found in this sector.
to mention that a number of entrepreneurs in this category are the youth - the backbone of our nation!

It is further important I support the past years, a trend that Honourable Deputy Speaker Urbanisation has been on the increase over is not only common in Namibia, but also in the sub-Saharan Africa region.

This makes it imperative for the parallel development of both urban and rural areas, the sectors which Yours truly is responsible for.
Rapid urbanisation places strains on the infrastructure in the local authorities.

Accordingly, local authorities should prioritise on to ensure that there is service delivery to the public.

The their capital projects allocation, the need of our rapid growing population and importance of our infrastructure to meet ever evolving technology cannot be understated.
the allocation financial year of N$ 561 million for construction and services in urban in the current and areas and the allocation of N$ 99.3 million to rural sanitation infrastructure development infrastructure development it is very important In this respect, in rural areas.

I support that if there Infrastructure development cannot be realised to the full is no involvement of various stakeholders.

Accordingly, smart partnerships like Public Private Partnerships development programmes.
A study conducted in three sub-Saharan Africa countries, by the Africa Capacity Building Foundation- about three years ago too, recommended the adoption of this of are limitations governments to mobilise resources for infrastructure development.

strategy, when it concluded (PPPs) are necessary in our local authorities, on the capacity infrastructure to address there that conference a solidarity Honourable Deputy Speaker relations.
Recently, SADC Let me turn to my area of academic expertise - the Sahrawi Arab convened the Democratic Republic, which Namibia attended.

Conference which called for, among others, the Kingdom of Morocco to fully adhere to the principles and goals enshrined in the African Union Constitutive Act, especially the need to respect colonial borders as they existed at the time of independence.
The delay in implementing the United Nations and African Union resolutions on the question of law that has no Western Sahara is deliberate and primitive disregard of I commend the declaration in support of the cause of international international of 3 Africa Capacity Building Foundation, 2016, Building Capacity for Domestic Resource Mobilization: Policy The https://www.africaportal.org/documents/16997/policLbrieC2_eng.pdf Government, available Brief Role the 2, of in at 3 the right to self-determination place in the world that upholds the principles of and demonstrates political maturity that brings decency to humankind.
Those that are folding their arm and turning blind eyes on the question of Western Sahara will be judged by history for committing sins of omission.

The same is applicable to the question of Palestine, which for many years has remained unresolved, despite numerous decisions taken at various fora of the UN, particularly the General Assembly.
The double-standard forces in the international political systems are not doing behaviours of known powerful they are furthering the good to advancing our universe to a greater destiny.

Instead, illegal and self-introspection the prevail among them to eventually follow an appropriate course in the consciousness world history of our contemporary times.

territories.
territories.

May Palestinian occupation of the leader of think tank institution, the Cuban revolution this year, Honourable Deputy Speaker During the 60th celebrations of the Communist Party, Raul Castro bemoaned the confrontational posture that has been adopted in the current US-Cuba relations, marking a drawback in the programme that in the past years.

This is further confirmed by the New York-based had been built independent In its discourse on the Council on Foreign Relation.
US-Cuba relations, authored by Claire Felter, Danielle Renwick and Rocio Cara Labrator," following the authors highlighted the setbacks by the current administration, the June 2017 Memorandum which prohibited business transactions the adoption of with Cuban owned entities.

They further pointed out that Cuba is the country which had been subjected to embargoes by the US for a longest period in world history.
I continue to the people of Cuba and denounce any attempt by to express my unequivocal support any to patronise them in their quest their for chartering the course that best suit aspirations.

With these words, I support the Appropriation Bill, NO.3 of 2019!

4 Felter https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-cuba-relations.

Renwick Labrator and C., D. R. C., 2019, US-Cuba Relations,