Day: February 28, 2024

WINDHOEK: Parliamentarians have gathered for the tabling of the 2024/25 National Budget by Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi in the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday. He said this year's theme is 'Continuing the Legacy of President Hage Geingob by Caring for the Namibian Child.' He also said the budget will include relief for taxpayers. Source: The Namibia Press Agency

As part of Parliamentary sitting and proceedings, the one presiding must say the little Parliamentary prayer. On the day that President Akufo-Addo came to the house to give his address on the State of the Nation, that prayer was said, invoking the divine blessings of Almighty God upon the nation and its leaders and a call to patriotism. Led by the Speaker, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the prayer echoed through the chambers, resonating with renewed optimism and aspirations of the Ghanaian people. With heads gently bowed and hearts uplifted, members of Parliament joined in unity, seeking divine favour and guidance for the President's address on the State of the Nation. 'Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to look with favour upon this Parliament of the Republic of Ghana,' Mr Bagbin, spotted in a pristine white smock with an intricate green design and a hat to match, said in Prayer moments after he walked into the chamber. 'Grant that it may perform its high duty as in Thy sight,' the Speaker intoned, his voice carrying the weight of solemnity for the task ahead. The prayer continued, with fervent appeals for divine guidance to be bestowed upon the President of the Republic and all elected officials. 'Give Divine guidance to the President of the Republic; endow Members of Parliament and Ministers of State with discernment and vision, integrity and courage,' the Speaker implored, emphasizing the importance of wisdom and moral fortitude in governance. As the prayer reached its crescendo, the Speaker invoked the collective responsibility of government to serve the people with diligence and compassion. '…through the labours of government, this land and the people may be well and truly served,' he declared, echoing with sentiments of duty and service engrained in the fabric of the Ghanaian society. With a fervent plea for the realisation of divine purposes amid the nation, Mr Bagbin said, 'Thy good purposes for the common human life be realized in our midst,' the Speaker prayed, invoking a vision of harmon y, prosperity, and justice for all citizens of Ghana. 'O God, grant us a vision of our country, fair as it might be,' a second Collect (a short prayer) rang out, carrying with it the hopes and dreams of a nation yearning for economic progress. 'A country of righteousness, where none shall wrong his neighbour; a country of plenty, where evil and poverty shall be done away with…' With fervent conviction, the prayers continued, invoking a vision of brotherhood and solidarity, where success is measured not by personal gain, but by service to others. 'A country of brotherhood, where all success shall be founded on service, and honor shall be given to the deserving.' For Mr Francis Yeboah, a civil servant, the prayer was profound and carried a sense of determination for a brighter future, requiring Ghanaians to redouble their efforts in the pursuit of progress and justice for all. 'A country of peace, where government shall rest on the will of the people and the love for the common good,' Mr Alban Bagbin pray ed and reaffirmed the country's commitment to democratic ideals and the welfare of all citizens. 'Bless the efforts of those who struggle to make this vision a living reality. Inspire and strengen our people that they may give time, thought and sacrifice to peed the day of the coming beauty of Ghana and Africa,' the Speaker of Parliament said. As the echoes of the prayer faded into the air, a profound sense of solemnity lingered in the chamber of Parliament as Parliamentarians shouted Amen. In that brief moment of collective reflection and supplication, the aspirations of a nation were laid bare, anchored in faith and a shared commitment to the common good. President Akufo-Addo concluding his message on the State of the Nation painted a vivid picture of a future brimming with possibilities where adversity was but a stepping stone on the path to progress, saying, 'we stumbled, but we are rising again. We were bruised, but we are healing. We have recovered our footing. We have dusted ourselves off, and now we face tomorrow with confidence.' The President wove a tapestry of hope and possibility, igniting a spark of inspiration, emphasising that 'Every day we pray and hope that adversity may spare our families, our communities and our dear nation. But should we be confronted by misfortune; we must face it like people with a proud history who fight and do not flee. 'Yenim ko; yen nim adwane. That is the Ghanaian spirit. That is our armour and our shield. This is our ethos. Let us believe in Ghana,' he said amidst resounding applause. Source: Ghana News Agency WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture received the largest allocation of nearly N.dollars 18.4 billion from the 2024/25 Financial Year (FY) National Budget tabled by Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi on Wednesday. This is about N.dollars 1.7 billion more than the amount allocated to the ministry in the 2023/24 budget. The Ministry of Health and Social Services received the second largest allocation of nearly N.dollars 10.9 billion; an increase of N.dollars 1.3 billion compared to the N.dollars 9.6 billion allocated last year. Following is a breakdown of all allocations per ministry for the 2024/2025 financial year. Office of the President: N.dollars 966 821 000 Office of the Prime Minister: N.dollars 1 104 281 000 National Assembly: N.dollars 196 050 000 Office of the Auditor-General: N.dollars 124 762 000 Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security: N.dollars 7 413 654 000 Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation: N.dollars 964 895 000 Ministry of Defence: N. dollars 6 743 897 000 Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprise: N.dollars 8 127 321 000 Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture: N.dollars 18 381 140 000 National Council: N.dollars 136 662 000 Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare: N.dollars 7 990 776 000 Ministry of Health and Social Services: N.dollars 10 891 017 000 Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation: N.dollars 222 382 000 Ministry of Mines and Energy: N.dollars 381 937 000 Ministry of Justice: N.dollars 674 318 000 Ministry of Urban and Rural Development: N.dollars 2 590 907 000 Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism: N.dollars 725 533 000 Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade: N.dollars 365 484 000 Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform: -Agriculture and Land Reform N.dollars 1 937 358 000 -Water: N.dollars 1 039 023 000 Judiciary: N.dollars 445 473 000 Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources: N.dollars 321 447 000 Ministry of Works and Transport: - Works: N.dollars 789 532 000 - Transport: N.dollars 3 249 854 000 National Planning Commission: N.dollars 232 488 000 Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service: N.dollars 679 399 000 Electoral Commission of Namibia: N.dollars 437 983 000 Ministry of Information and Communication Technology: N.dollars 702 993 000 Anti-Corruption Commission: N.dollars 105 992 000 Ministry of Veterans Affairs: N.dollars 1 409 516 000 Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation: N.dollars 4 750 022 000 Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare: N.dollars 7 990 776 000 Source: The Namibia Press Agency

SWAKOPMUND: The government has through its operational budget settled N.dollars 1.4 billion in once-off legacy tax liabilities for selected public enterprises whose funding was severely reduced due to fiscal consolidation in previous years. The enterprises include the University of Namibia (UNAM), TransNamib, the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the New Era Corporation, the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (FishCor) and the Roads Contractors Company (RCC). During the tabling of the 2024/25 budget on Wednesday, Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Iipumbu Shiimi said that this is an exceptional once-off exercise to clear the legacy debt of public enterprises accumulated prior to the establishment of the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA). 'Accordingly, this transaction is recorded as both revenue and expenditure in our books, resulting in a neutral position from a fiscal perspective. Furthermore, this action was undertaken on the back of agreed conditions including regular publication of audite d financial statements and commitment to meet future tax liabilities henceforth,' he explained. He further added that the action was undertaken to enable NamRA to apply the law to all taxpayers equally, noting that should any public enterprise accumulate tax liabilities going forward, treasury is not prepared to offer any support. Additionally, to close the infrastructure gaps that continue to weigh against the country's growth potential, the development budget has been increased significantly by 58.1 per cent to N.dollars 12.7 billion. This, according to Shiimi, is inclusive of N.dollars 3.2 billion in grant-funded and loan-funded projects to improve infrastructure through various ministries. The development budget is equivalent to 4.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, a significant improvement from prior years. Shiimi however expressed concern about limited project execution capacity at most Offices/Ministries/Agencies (OMAs) and procurement bottlenecks which continually translate into administration of funds from and/or underspending on the development budget. He noted that the government will continue to work on addressing these shortcomings. Source: The Namibia Press Agency