Disaster relief, salary hikes to fore in PM’s vote

THE Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Thursday motivated its N$293,5 million budget allocation for the 2009-10 financial year, with more than 37 per cent of the allocation going towards disaster relief.

On the OPM’s total operational budget allocation of N$153,76 million, which represents a 13 per cent increase from last year’s N$135,9 million allocation, Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila noted that ‘if one takes into account the salary adjustments which have already been announced, as well as the effect of inflation on required services, the OPM is expected to execute its programmes with only a marginal increase in real terms in the new financial year’.
She did not provide a ‘real term’ percentage figure, but said the trend would be expected to continue over the medium term plan.
The total N$293,4 million allocation being defended is a N$127 million drop from last year’s budget, which Amathila said had been dwarfed by the special allocations made for drought and flood relief last year.
Under this programme, the OPM had received N$260 million, 61 per cent of that N$420 million budget, for the Comprehensive Emergency Food Aid Scheme.
Motivating this year’s budget, Amathila encouraged that an amount of N$138,4 million be allocated towards Disaster and Emergency Management, with N$109,4 million of this amount going towards ‘alleviating the effects on the flooded areas in northern Namibia’.
She also noted that the recently tabled Disaster Risk Management policy would steer the course of action followed in this regard.
Philemon Moongo of the DTA said there was a need for ‘less talk and more action’ on the issue of floods.
Amathila also motivated a N$121,3 million budget towards the public service management and improvement programme of the OPM, highlighting projects such as a review of the Medical Aid Scheme, Promotion Norms, and incentives for scarce skills; the implementation of Performance Management System, the job evaluation and grading system, and the expansion of e-government initiatives as motivations for the allocation.
During the discussion session, several Members of Parliament expressed their disdain with the work ethic of the public service, and noted that with the welcome increase in the salaries and wages of civil servants, they would also like to see improved service delivery.
Responding to questions from the floor, Amathila also said that the OPM is working on perfecting its performance appraisal system.
Regarding e-government initiatives, a N$7 million contract with Unam and the Polytechnic to provide computer literacy training to civil servants has been entered into, with the programme expected to benefit about 4 500 of Government’s 87 000 civil servants.
Under the programme themed Constitutional obligations of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, Amathila highlighted that in addition to completing the empowerment framework, and continuing development on the San Development Project, of the N$33,7 million allocation, N$8 million would go towards next year’s 20th Independence celebrations, which coincides with the swearing in of the new government.
nangula@namibian.com.na