Bill to provide for golden handshake for President

TAXPAYERS can expect to fork out for an exit package for President Sam Nujoma when he steps down as the country’s first president early next year.

Minister of Justice Albert Kawana gave notice in the National Assembly yesterday that he will table a Bill on Tuesday that provides for the payment of a pension, gratuity and “other benefits” to former Presidents of Namibia and their families. President Sam Nujoma will become the first president to benefit from the law which will be titled the ‘Former President’s Pension and other Benefits Bill’.It is not yet clear through which budget the package will be financed.The Additional Appropriation Bill, which allocates extra funding to ministries and State departments in addition to the main Budget, is usually tabled in Parliament by October.However, the House will go into recess on October 15 to allow for election campaigning.The Congress of Democrats claims that Government is holding off on discussing the Bill until after the elections because it is trying to hide what will be spent on the president and other retiring politicians (see separate report on this page).Deputy Minister of Finance Clara Bohitile yesterday defended Government’s position.She said Government departments were only five months into spending the 2004-05 Budget, which was approved in April, and that the accounts had not yet been balanced to determine what had been spent.”It is too early to say what has been spent.We can go bankrupt if we spend without knowing what is in the kitty,” she told journalists during a break in parliamentary proceedings.Bohitile argued that for the sake of fiscal prudence the House would have to come back for another session after the November elections to discuss the budget.The Speaker of the National Assembly Mose Tjitendero yesterday told MPs that they only had until Tuesday to give notice that they wanted to table Bills before the end of the current session.He said with only five weeks to go before the recess, it would not be possible to deal with the about 20 Bills listed for the house’s attention.Tjitendero appealed to the Cabinet Legislative Committee to prioritise which bills were urgent, saying that the house could handle four more Bills before the end of the session.The Justice Minister who heads the Cabinet Committee pledged his co-operation on the matter.He also gave notice that he intended to motivate a new Criminal Procedures Bill on Tuesday, which is expected to revamp penalties for serious crime Among the proposed legislation waiting to be tabled are the Public Office-bearers (Remuneration and Benefits) Commission Bill, Companies Bill, National Disability Council Bill, Public Holidays Amendment Bill, National Arts Fund of Namibia Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill.The Labour Bill, which will replace the current law, is also expected to return to the House after the National Council made amendments to it last month.Two other Bills discussed by the National Assembly earlier this year – the Children’s Status Bill and National Heritage Bill – are also set to return to the House for debate after being referred to parliamentary standing committees for public input.President Sam Nujoma will become the first president to benefit from the law which will be titled the ‘Former President’s Pension and other Benefits Bill’.It is not yet clear through which budget the package will be financed.The Additional Appropriation Bill, which allocates extra funding to ministries and State departments in addition to the main Budget, is usually tabled in Parliament by October.However, the House will go into recess on October 15 to allow for election campaigning.The Congress of Democrats claims that Government is holding off on discussing the Bill until after the elections because it is trying to hide what will be spent on the president and other retiring politicians (see separate report on this page).Deputy Minister of Finance Clara Bohitile yesterday defended Government’s position.She said Government departments were only five months into spending the 2004-05 Budget, which was approved in April, and that the accounts had not yet been balanced to determine what had been spent.”It is too early to say what has been spent.We can go bankrupt if we spend without knowing what is in the kitty,” she told journalists during a break in parliamentary proceedings.Bohitile argued that for the sake of fiscal prudence the House would have to come back for another session after the November elections to discuss the budget.The Speaker of the National Assembly Mose Tjitendero yesterday told MPs that they only had until Tuesday to give notice that they wanted to table Bills before the end of the current session.He said with only five weeks to go before the recess, it would not be possible to deal with the about 20 Bills listed for the house’s attention.Tjitendero appealed to the Cabinet Legislative Committee to prioritise which bills were urgent, saying that the house could handle four more Bills before the end of the session.The Justice Minister who heads the Cabinet Committee pledged his co-operation on the matter.He also gave notice that he intended to motivate a new Criminal Procedures Bill on Tuesday, which is expected to revamp penalties for serious crime Among the proposed legislation waiting to be tabled are the Public Office-bearers (Remuneration and Benefits) Commission Bill, Companies Bill, National Disability Council Bill, Public Holidays Amendment Bill, National Arts Fund of Namibia Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill.The Labour Bill, which will replace the current law, is also expected to return to the House after the National Council made amendments to it last month.Two other Bills discussed by the National Assembly earlier this year – the Children’s Status Bill and National Heritage Bill – are also set to return to the House for debate after being referred to parliamentary standing committees for public input.