Reply to thread

Message

[QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30091, member: 2262"]
Drinkers face higher prices after Finance Minister Erica Shafudah raised alcohol taxes by 6.75%, starting March 12, 2025. The tax hike hits your wallet differently depending on what you drink. Sparkling wine costs N$1.20 more per liter, and a 750ml bottle of spirits jumps up to N$5.53. Smokers pay more as well, with cigarette packs rising N$1 each.

The numbers show bigger changes across the board. Cigars cost an extra N$369.36 per kilogram, and fortified wine increases by 64 cents. Pure alcohol prices climb N$18.52 per liter. These increases affect every type of alcoholic drink you might buy at stores or bars throughout the country.

Shafudah revealed the national financial plan last Thursday in Parliament. The total budget reaches N$106.3 billion, with N$79.8 billion designated for daily operations. That means regular government spending consumes more than 70% of all available money. The operational budget grew by 2.3% compared to earlier plans for 2024/25.

The current budget exceeds what came before it by N$6 billion, a significant change from what former Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi proposed earlier. Shafudah's plan allocated more cash for government programs during her first major financial proposal as the head of treasury operations.
[/QUOTE]

Name