The Prime Minister’s Office hopes to ‘do more with less’

CELEBRATIONS on a grand scale are on the cards for Namibia’s 15th Independence anniversary in March next year.

Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab told the National Assembly on Tuesday that his office intended spending a whopping N$8,7 million on national activities to mark the occasion. This is almost three times as much as was spent on the country’s 10th Independence anniversary in 2000.Motivating the budget allocation of the Office of the Prime Minister during the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill, Gurirab said the amount would enable his office to implement Cabinet directives related to the occasion and allow for celebrations on a national scale.Gurirab reminded the House that the event would coincide with the inauguration of a new Government and a new President.He added that his Office would have to make many logistical arrangements to accommodate the numerous high-level international delegations that were expected to attend.In general, the Prime Minister’s Office will have to make do with less money this year compared to 2003, with an allocation of N$78,8 million from the 2004-05 budget.This represents a cut of 28 per cent.The Prime Minister said his Office projected an increase in expenditure to nearly N$81 million by the 2006-07 financial year.”This will surely test our budgetary management to the maximum as the demand for services are not diminishing,” he said, “I think of the adage ‘doing more with less’.I will keep this hope alive!” But this year there is more money to exercise the Prime Minister’s oversight function of the public service than last year.The lion’s share of the budget – N$30,5 million – will go towards maintaining the public service and fulfilling its charters.This is an increase of six per cent for this sector compared to last year.Funds allocated to the offices of the Prime Minister and his deputy, the Cabinet Secretariat and the President’s Economic Advisory Council have been boosted by nearly N$9,4 million since last year – to N$25,7 million.Another N$21,1 million will be used for the general administration of the OPMs programmes – up from N$9,7 million it received last year.An amount of N$1,8 million has been set aside to kick-start the Anti-Corruption Commission.Gurirab said that the NA would soon have to endorse the appointment of the Commission’s Director and a deputy who are to be nominated by the President.The Central Governance Agency – responsible for monitoring the performance of parastatals – will receive N$8,5 million through the OPM’s budget.The CGA has been waiting for the State Owned Enterprise Bill, which sets out its activities, to be introduced in Parliament The Emergency Management Unit (EMU) has been allocated N$1,3 million, mostly for staffing costs and office requirements.Funds for disasters and emergencies will come from the Contingency Fund controlled by the Finance Ministry.In total, EMU received N$100 million last year – half through the main Budget and the rest through the additional one – mostly for drought relief efforts.A decision has yet to be taken on its allocation for disaster relief efforts for this year.This is almost three times as much as was spent on the country’s 10th Independence anniversary in 2000.Motivating the budget allocation of the Office of the Prime Minister during the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill, Gurirab said the amount would enable his office to implement Cabinet directives related to the occasion and allow for celebrations on a national scale.Gurirab reminded the House that the event would coincide with the inauguration of a new Government and a new President.He added that his Office would have to make many logistical arrangements to accommodate the numerous high-level international delegations that were expected to attend.In general, the Prime Minister’s Office will have to make do with less money this year compared to 2003, with an allocation of N$78,8 million from the 2004-05 budget.This represents a cut of 28 per cent.The Prime Minister said his Office projected an increase in expenditure to nearly N$81 million by the 2006-07 financial year.”This will surely test our budgetary management to the maximum as the demand for services are not diminishing,” he said, “I think of the adage ‘doing more with less’.I will keep this hope alive!” But this year there is more money to exercise the Prime Minister’s oversight function of the public service than last year.The lion’s share of the budget – N$30,5 million – will go towards maintaining the public service and fulfilling its charters.This is an increase of six per cent for this sector compared to last year.Funds allocated to the offices of the Prime Minister and his deputy, the Cabinet Secretariat and the President’s Economic Advisory Council have been boosted by nearly N$9,4 million since last year – to N$25,7 million.Another N$21,1 million will be used for the general administration of the OPMs programmes – up from N$9,7 million it received last year.An amount of N$1,8 million has been set aside to kick-start the Anti-Corruption Commission.Gurirab said that the NA would soon have to endorse the appointment of the Commission’s Director and a deputy who are to be nominated by the President.The Central Governance Agency – responsible for monitoring the performance of parastatals – will receive N$8,5 million through the OPM’s budget.The CGA has been waiting for the State Owned Enterprise Bill, which sets out its activities, to be introduced in Parliament The Emergency Management Unit (EMU) has been allocated N$1,3 million, mostly for staffing costs and office requirements.Funds for disasters and emergencies will come from the Contingency Fund controlled by the Finance Ministry.In total, EMU received N$100 million last year – half through the main Budget and the rest through the additional one – mostly for drought relief efforts.A decision has yet to be taken on its allocation for disaster relief efforts for this year.