‘Budget for the people without the people’
Namibian Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah's mid-term budget review has drawn criticism from opposition leaders who argue it ignores the needs of ordinary citizens. Critics highlight a lack of support for agriculture and rising costs of living, while government officials defend the budget as a necessary response to fiscal and geopolitical challenges.
Why it matters
Budgetary allocations reflect government priorities; the debate highlights the tension between fiscal austerity and the urgent social needs of the population.
Finance minister Ericah Shafudah yesterday tabled her second mid-term budget review under the theme ‘People, Productivity and Prudence’, but the people are nowhere to be found, critics say.
McHenry Venaani, president of the Popular Democratic Movement, yesterday said the budget does not address the needs of ordinary Namibians.
He said it fails to address the rising cost of living, inadequate housing and sanitation, and the financial pressures facing ordinary Namibians.
He questioned how borrowed money was being invested, arguing that the agriculture sector, one of the country’s major employers, was not receiving adequate support.
“The agriculture industry is inundated with the worst challenges, yet the government is spending more money on international relations [than on agriculture]. And agriculture is the greatest employer.
“The government should have walked the talk today. We’re not spending money on agriculture,” he said.
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