Pensions go up to N$370

PENSIONERS can expect relief from the latest National Budget, with their grants being upped by N$70 to N$370 a month.

Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila announced the increase yesterday when she tabled the country’s latest Budget in the National Assembly. Pensioners were not on the receiving end of last year’s Budget and have not had an increase since April 2004, when their grants were increased from N$250 to N$300.The latest increases will cost the State N$124 million during 2006-07.But it is still a far cry from the demands of pensioners, who late last year demonstrated for an increase to N$700 a month.Government will spend N$395 million over the next three years to maintain the N$70 increase.Yesterday, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said through Government’s intentions to uplift Namibians, more money would also be allocated for the registration of orphans and vulnerable children to allow Government to properly identify those in need.”Increasing social grants and expanding the safety net and improving the quality of education and health services will surely improve living conditions.However, this is not enough and we need to address the causes of income poverty and inequities by tackling unemployment,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.Improvements of infrastructure and job creation are priority areas of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).Of the social sectors, it will again be that of education that receives the largest chunk of the Budget – in the amount of N$388 million for the 2006/07 financial year and N$1,3 billion over the next three years, to support the Education Training Sector Improvement Programme, ETSIP.The programme is set to totally overhaul the education sector to improve the quality of education.More money has also been allocated to expand anti-retroviral treatment for HIV-AIDS patients and to improve district healthcare centres.Funding has been provided to employ 105 expatriate nurses to work in Namibia over the next two years.This year the health sector will receive N$61 million and the allocation for the next three years has also been increased to N$190 million.A cardiac unit for the Windhoek Central Hospital is supposed to become operational this year though a loan from the Finnish Government, which will also be used to buy medical equipment for a number of health centres.Pensioners were not on the receiving end of last year’s Budget and have not had an increase since April 2004, when their grants were increased from N$250 to N$300.The latest increases will cost the State N$124 million during 2006-07.But it is still a far cry from the demands of pensioners, who late last year demonstrated for an increase to N$700 a month.Government will spend N$395 million over the next three years to maintain the N$70 increase.Yesterday, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said through Government’s intentions to uplift Namibians, more money would also be allocated for the registration of orphans and vulnerable children to allow Government to properly identify those in need.”Increasing social grants and expanding the safety net and improving the quality of education and health services will surely improve living conditions.However, this is not enough and we need to address the causes of income poverty and inequities by tackling unemployment,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.Improvements of infrastructure and job creation are priority areas of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).Of the social sectors, it will again be that of education that receives the largest chunk of the Budget – in the amount of N$388 million for the 2006/07 financial year and N$1,3 billion over the next three years, to support the Education Training Sector Improvement Programme, ETSIP.The programme is set to totally overhaul the education sector to improve the quality of education.More money has also been allocated to expand anti-retroviral treatment for HIV-AIDS patients and to improve district healthcare centres.Funding has been provided to employ 105 expatriate nurses to work in Namibia over the next two years.This year the health sector will receive N$61 million and the allocation for the next three years has also been increased to N$190 million.A cardiac unit for the Windhoek Central Hospital is supposed to become operational this year though a loan from the Finnish Government, which will also be used to buy medical equipment for a number of health centres.