Budget scorned for ‘unattainable targets’

THE more things change, the more they stay the same.

This was the sentiment of opposition parties on Wednesday when they kicked off debate on the national Budget for 2004-05 in the National Assembly. DTA MP Johan de Waal told fellow MPs that over the years Government had failed to meet its financial targets despite warnings from the opposition that they were living beyond their means.De Waal contended that the real test of the country’s fiscal discipline would be revealed when the additional appropriations were tabled later this year.He said Government was struggling to balance the Budget because it was not stringent enough in collecting what it was owed.”It is almost as if this aspect of financial management does not exist in our Ministries because millions of dollars are just lying there with no real effort by Ministries to collect them,” he exclaimed.”What is even worse, the debt will eventually have to be written off because they are so old that they will no longer be able to collect them.”He lashed out at the N$366 million allocated to national airline Air Namibia to implement its new business plan.In response to a statement issued by the airline’s board chairman last week that said that only part of the bail-out would be used for the business plan, De Waal asked whether Government would give in to granting the airline another N$84 million – the figure, according to de Waal, that was still needed to realise the plan.He wanted to know whether a delay in meeting the shortfall would consequently mean a delay in putting the turn-around plan into action.”We [the DTA] have investigated the contents of the new business plan and, no matter how patriotic we may be, we find it very difficult to accept it because we believe it to be highly risky,” he said.De Waal urged Cabinet to re-assess the plan before allowing its implementation.He predicted a further N$400 million injection for the airline in next year’s main Budget.De Waal also took issue with the large allocation to the Defence Ministry, saying that instead, more money should be pumped into the Police force.”We have no obvious enemies, while the Police, who are confronted with an ever-growing crime wave, seem to be getting less and less money”.He was met with a number of interjections from ruling MPs who claimed that the country could not be sure of its security and faced the threat of mercenaries.The Defence Ministry is in line to receive N$1,08 billion – 8,5 per cent of the national Budget.DTA MP Johan de Waal told fellow MPs that over the years Government had failed to meet its financial targets despite warnings from the opposition that they were living beyond their means.De Waal contended that the real test of the country’s fiscal discipline would be revealed when the additional appropriations were tabled later this year.He said Government was struggling to balance the Budget because it was not stringent enough in collecting what it was owed.”It is almost as if this aspect of financial management does not exist in our Ministries because millions of dollars are just lying there with no real effort by Ministries to collect them,” he exclaimed.”What is even worse, the debt will eventually have to be written off because they are so old that they will no longer be able to collect them.”He lashed out at the N$366 million allocated to national airline Air Namibia to implement its new business plan.In response to a statement issued by the airline’s board chairman last week that said that only part of the bail-out would be used for the business plan, De Waal asked whether Government would give in to granting the airline another N$84 million – the figure, according to de Waal, that was still needed to realise the plan.He wanted to know whether a delay in meeting the shortfall would consequently mean a delay in putting the turn-around plan into action.”We [the DTA] have investigated the contents of the new business plan and, no matter how patriotic we may be, we find it very difficult to accept it because we believe it to be highly risky,” he said.De Waal urged Cabinet to re-assess the plan before allowing its implementation.He predicted a further N$400 million injection for the airline in next year’s main Budget.De Waal also took issue with the large allocation to the Defence Ministry, saying that instead, more money should be pumped into the Police force.”We have no obvious enemies, while the Police, who are confronted with an ever-growing crime wave, seem to be getting less and less money”.He was met with a number of interjections from ruling MPs who claimed that the country could not be sure of its security and faced the threat of mercenaries.The Defence Ministry is in line to receive N$1,08 billion – 8,5 per cent of the national Budget.