Image courtesy: Ministry of Finance
Namibian finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi tabled the National Budget for 2020/21, under the theme ‘Together Defeating COVID-19, Together Thriving Again’, in the National Assembly on 27 May 2020.
These are the highlights:
- N$ 727 million to cover Emergency Income Grant (EIG). N$ 561.96 million in expenditures so far. A total of 747,281 recipients have benefited and 120 000 are still expected to benefit;
- N$ 645 million for the National Employment and Salary Protection Scheme;
- N$ 500 million for non-agricultural government guaranteed SME loans through DBN;
- N$ 350 million for agricultural business loan scheme and bridging finance through Agribank;
- N$ 470 million capped one year tax-back loan scheme for non-mining corporates;
- N$ 1.1 billion capped one year tax-back loan scheme for individual taxpayers;
- Waiving of levies and duties on kerosene fuel;
- N$ 600 million emergency budget to the Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
- Total of N$ 72.8 billion has been earmarked for spending under the 2020/21 National Budget, including interest payments.
Sector Breakdowns:
Social Sector
| Ministerial Vote | Allocation N$ (billion) |
| Basic Education, Arts and Culture | 14.2 |
| Health and Social Services | 7.95 |
| Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare | 5.3 |
| Higher Education, Training and Innovation | 3.3 |
Economic & Infrastructure Sector
| Ministerial Vote | Allocation N$ (billion) |
| Transport | 2.4 |
| Agriculture, Water and Land Reform | 1.3 |
| Finance | 6.2 |
| Industrialisation and Trade | 0.174 |
Public Safety and Order Sector
| Ministerial Vote | Allocation N$ (billion) |
| Home Affairs, Safety and Security | 5.95 |
| Defence and Veterans Affairs | 6.2 |
| Judiciary | 0.375 |
Administrative Sector
| Ministerial Vote | Allocation N$ (billion) |
| Urban and Rural Development | 1.7 |
| International Relations and Cooperation | 1.0 |
| National Assembly and National Council | 0.232 |