New State House gets lion’s share of President’s budget

FORTY per cent of the total budget allocated to the Office of the President for the 2004-05 financial year will be pumped into the ongoing construction of the controversial new State House.

The N$77 million set aside for the project this financial year represents an increase of N$62 million compared to last year’s allocation of N$15 million, according to this year’s Development Budget. However, last year’s Development Budget indicated that N$51 million would be allocated to the project during the 2003-04 financial year.It is unclear from the documents exactly how much was spent on construction during the last year.With the Appropriation Bill entering committee stage yesterday, Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab kicked off the session with the motivation of the first budget item – the N$190,8 million allocated for the Office of the President.This represents an increase of almost N$34 million compared to last year.The allocation is split into two broad divisions:operational (N$70,4 million) and development (N$120,4 million).Gurirab announced that 65 per cent of the development budget would go towards construction of the new State House.Last year it was projected that the complex would cost about N$444 million.Last week, Minister of Local and Regional Government and Housing Joel Kaapanda revealed to the National Assembly that N$24 million owed to the City of Windhoek, for the land on which the complex is being built, had not yet been paid.The remaining N$40 million of the development budget under this vote, Gurirab said yesterday, would go towards the “ongoing development projects” of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS).These projects are not specified, nor are they outlined, in the Development Budget document.Under the main division of the Office of the President, N$15 million will be spent on the salaries of the President, the Minister without Portfolio and their support staff.This represents a decrease of N$1,8 million from last year.”Despite this lower allocation, the Office of the President will be able to continue to carry out its activities mindful of the Government’s policy of fiscal prudence and to give effect to our objectives on reduction of the national debt,” said Gurirab.More than 80 per cent of the expenditure in the main division is for personnel expenditure and transport.The N$12,7 million accommodates the general five per cent increase in salaries for the public service that came into effect on April 1, and an increase in rates by the Government Garage for transport services for the Office of the President.With the operational budget taking a dip of N$7 million from last year, the NCIS gets N$4 million less than last year’s N$45 million.The remaining N$9 million of the total operational budget will be used for the administrative affairs of the Office of the President.However, last year’s Development Budget indicated that N$51 million would be allocated to the project during the 2003-04 financial year.It is unclear from the documents exactly how much was spent on construction during the last year.With the Appropriation Bill entering committee stage yesterday, Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab kicked off the session with the motivation of the first budget item – the N$190,8 million allocated for the Office of the President.This represents an increase of almost N$34 million compared to last year.The allocation is split into two broad divisions:operational (N$70,4 million) and development (N$120,4 million).Gurirab announced that 65 per cent of the development budget would go towards construction of the new State House.Last year it was projected that the complex would cost about N$444 million.Last week, Minister of Local and Regional Government and Housing Joel Kaapanda revealed to the National Assembly that N$24 million owed to the City of Windhoek, for the land on which the complex is being built, had not yet been paid.The remaining N$40 million of the development budget under this vote, Gurirab said yesterday, would go towards the “ongoing development projects” of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS).These projects are not specified, nor are they outlined, in the Development Budget document.Under the main division of the Office of the President, N$15 million will be spent on the salaries of the President, the Minister without Portfolio and their support staff.This represents a decrease of N$1,8 million from last year.”Despite this lower allocation, the Office of the President will be able to continue to carry out its activities mindful of the Government’s policy of fiscal prudence and to give effect to our objectives on reduction of the national debt,” said Gurirab.More than 80 per cent of the expenditure in the main division is for personnel expenditure and transport.The N$12,7 million accommodates the general five per cent increase in salaries for the public service that came into effect on April 1, and an increase in rates by the Government Garage for transport services for the Office of the President.With the operational budget taking a dip of N$7 million from last year, the NCIS gets N$4 million less than last year’s N$45 million.The remaining N$9 million of the total operational budget will be used for the administrative affairs of the Office of the President.