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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30366, member: 2262"] Finance Minister Erica Shafudah bumped up money for building projects to N$12.8 billion yesterday. People who make money from government contracts should have plenty of chances to cash in. This cash helps the government pay for major construction work. Shafudah explained that this marks a 22% jump from what they planned to spend last year. The government earmarked N$2.5 billion for train tracks, N$970 million to build and fix classrooms, N$700 million for housing needs, N$450 million for sports buildings, and N$2.2 billion for water systems. The total national budget reached N$106.3 billion, which tops last year's budget by N$6.2 billion. Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani told The Namibian that putting cash into development helps the economy. He added that he hopes the government spends this money through clear buying rules that prevent just a few people from benefiting like in past years. The budget sets aside N$200 million to build new sports stadiums and another N$200 million for sports facilities. This matches Swapo's promise to boost sports funding and ensure that national sports places meet world standards. This comes at an important time because Namibia's soccer team must play home games in other countries since African officials decided Namibian stadiums aren't good enough for international matches. Shafudah said the government budgeted N$13.7 billion to pay debt bills in the 2025/26 budget year. That equals 14.8% of all money coming in and 4.9% of the country's total economic output. She expressed worry that they spend more resources paying debts than investing back into the economy. She promised to keep public debt on a downward path and make sure they borrow money in the cheapest way possible. National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato asked for two weeks for lawmakers to study the budget before making decisions about it. He said Namibians deserve the best and need to appreciate this budget, which addresses regular citizens' needs. Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda also requested budget papers to prepare for next Tuesday's budget talk. PDM member Inna Hengari worried about certain money going to specific departments, like N$438 million for the Electoral Commission, despite last year's disputed elections. She mentioned concern about whether the minister had enough time before presenting the budget but promised more detailed comments next week. AR spokesperson George Kambala felt positive about the budget, praising its focus on young people. He questioned where exactly they would build stadiums and which sports leagues would benefit from the money. He said they need to look deeper into these numbers to know exactly where the money goes. He guessed maybe only N$1 billion might actually go toward infrastructure since the N$24 billion for education probably pays mostly for staff. Independent economist Josef Sheehama called the budget promising and said it should improve society and the economy rather than end up with the wrong people. He thought the N$2.6 billion for farming and land reform falls short when you think about needed changes and restarting green farming projects. He stressed that poor management in some government offices needs attention. He called for careful tracking and reporting to stop corruption and help all Namibians benefit, which would shrink income gaps between rich and poor. According to Shafudah, education received the biggest share, at N$24.8 billion for next year, covering innovation, arts, and culture, with N$76.1 billion planned over several years. Gender Equality and Child Welfare received N$473.6 million for next year and N$1.5 billion over the longer term. Sports, Youth, and National Service received N$1.3 billion. She explained that this money also includes support for various youth programs that teach skills and build abilities. Health services will receive N$12.3 billion next year and N$37.5 billion over the multi-year plan. Shafudah said they aim to reduce crowding at public hospitals and improve services overall. They plan to hire more health workers and buy medicines and medical supplies. Transportation will receive N$2.7 billion in total. This money will help speed up train tracks and finish ongoing road projects, including rural roads leading to schools and clinics. Agriculture and land reform will receive N$2.6 billion next year. This includes special money for improving food systems and green farming programs, including phase two of the Neckartal Dam irrigation project. Water and marine resources received N$956.5 million. Shafudah announced N$14.6 billion for her Finance and Social Grants Management ministry, with N$7.2 billion going toward social grants. The defense and home affairs ministries got N$7.5 billion and N$7.9 billion, respectively. The courts received N$601 million, and Justice received N$494.1 million to strengthen legal services. The President's Office received N$1.5 billion. The government gave N$100 million to the Meat Corporation and N$320 million to TransNamib. They set aside N$350 million for emergencies. By February's end, total tax collections reached N$84.4 billion, meaning they collected over 90% of expected taxes during the first eleven months of this budget year. Shafudah noted that money from government companies dropped significantly because Namdeb Holdings performed poorly due to falling global diamond prices. About N$1.6 billion expected from breaking up Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings moved to next year's budget. Between April 2023 and February 2025, the government collected N$3 billion through its ongoing tax amnesty program. For spending, they used 93.2% of last year's budget by February's end, which means they expect no spending overruns. Shafudah said they secured 100% of the needed funding for this budget year. The total debt reached N$165.9 billion, equaling 66% of the country's economic output. Last year's budget included N$74.6 billion for daily operations, N$12.6 billion for development projects, and N$12.8 billion for debt payments. [/QUOTE]

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