ITULA CLAIMS N$9.3 BILLION POTENTIAL BUDGET SAVINGS - nbc

Описание: Independent Patriots for Change's leader Panduleni Itula says the party has identified the potential for a N$9,3 billion savings in the national budget for the 2026/2027 financial year.

Dr Itula says these savings can be realised through efficiency measures, including cutting non-essential travel, reviewing state-owned enterprises and implementing zero-based budgeting.

Speaking at a media briefing in Windhoek, Dr Itula claimed the budget prioritises political elites over ordinary Namibians, urging citizens to demand accountability and a budget that reflects their needs rather than political interests. He pointed out that billions of dollars can be saved through efficiency.

"A pragmatic government would not spend N$1.66 billion on travel while water gets one percent of the budget. A pragmatic government would not hold 243 workshops with zero measurable outcomes. There is nothing pragmatic about photocopying last year's budget and adding 3%. That is not pragmatism. That is laziness with a slogan."

Itula argued that the budget exposes deep failures in service delivery, particularly in water provision, housing and infrastructure.

He noted that only a small fraction of the budget is allocated to development projects such as roads, schools, hospitals and water infrastructure, despite Namibia's ongoing drought challenges.

"66% are on autopilot, unchanged or marked up by exactly 3%. One hundred and eighty items are the exact same amount for three consecutive years. The budget is not written; it is photocopied. Nobody asks: did this work? Do we still need it? What did it achieve? They just add 3 percent and move on."

Dr Itula also criticised the pace of housing delivery and the absence of a clearly funded, large-scale youth employment programme, saying young Namibians are being left behind while unemployment remains high.

Itula also took aim at the government's failure to increase the old-age pension to N$3,000 per month, although the president had indicated that an increase would take place over a period of time.

Pensioners will now receive N$1,700.

When tabling the 2026/2027 national budget in the National Assembly last Thursday, Finance Minister Ericah Shafuda pointed out that the budget is about restoring balance between ambition and affordability, between growth and stability and between today's needs and tomorrow's ambitions, adding that the choices to be made are hard but necessary.