PRESIDENT Hage Geingob said he rejected an option to stay in a N$144 000 a day hotel for his next trip United States of America trip to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Geingob made these remarks on Friday during a press conference where he spoke about national issues such as the predicted negative economic outlook, his trip to America and that government will not be forced into giving teachers an 8% salary increase because there is no money.
Geingob will leave tomorrow and will be there up to 4 October.
Although the UN General Assembly session opens on 13 September, the speeches will start on 20 September, with Geingob slated as the eighth speaker on 29 September.
According to the President, when State House was looking at possible places to stay while at the UN, he refused to stay where they normally stay, which cost around US$10 000 (N$144 000) per day.
He said he instead opted for cheaper accommodation, worth US$1 100 (N$15 800) per day, because he wants the government to cut unnecessary spending.
“I’m not going to the UN to sleep. We have reduced the size of the delegation. Some have been asked to drop out. We are not careless people,” the President said.
About the looming teacher’s strike, Geingob said the teachers have the right to strike but they should think about the consequences of their action.
He appealed to teachers to think twice before agreeing to strike.
He said the fact that they have jobs should be enough, for now, since there are other people who do not have jobs.
The President said there are people who want to destabilise the country.
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who sat on the left of Geingob, indicated that the government will not be forced into increasing the salaries of teachers by 8%.
Geingob vowed that government’s hand will not be forced.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said increasing the salaries of teachers by 8% will mean that the government will have to raise over N$600 million from the markets.
The Premier said it’s not that the government does not want to increase the salaries but it can’t because the state cannot afford the increase.
She said the government already had to raise N$8 billion to subsidies the current national budget.
The PM said the government had to make one decision; either a populist one, which will please the teachers, or a responsible one.
“We chose to be responsible and face the ‘fame’ of the strike and sustain the fiscal sustainability of the country,” she said.
Education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, who was also present at that media briefing, pleaded with teachers to understand the position of government but said the ministry is anyway “preparing for continuity of class during the strike.”;
