[{"bbox": [83, 105, 1147, 317], "category": "Text", "text": "The 2022/23 budget, fiscal strategy, accountability report and in-year budget reports are all available online. The GRN is going through a phase of fiscal consolidation following the Covid pandemic, and in the light of rising public debt levels. In the budget statement on 24 February 2022 Finance Minister Ipumbu Shiimi earmarked N$61.5 billion for the 2022/23 national budget, a decrease from the N$67.9 billion in 2021/22. A useful analysis of the budget was prepared by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) Namibia. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), an independent think tank (which also undertakes Namibia's Open Budget Survey) has also commented on the budget. The IPPR continues to lobby for more transparency in Government, including with respect to the register of Members of Parliament (MPs) assets."}, {"bbox": [83, 344, 1147, 425], "category": "Text", "text": "It is encouraging that that IMF AFRITAC South (AFS) has, in 2022, completed a review of the GRN budget process and prepared recommendations of how this could be further strengthened. The EU supports the ongoing engagement of AFS, and as the largest funder of AFS, will monitor progress with implementation of recommendations."}, {"bbox": [83, 450, 1147, 583], "category": "Text", "text": "It should also be noted that the African Development Bank (AfDB) undertook a Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA) of Namibia's public finances, and this is annexed to its Country Strategy 2020-2024. It took note of the PEFA results in its baselines. In summary, it found that risks were moderate with respect to Budget and Treasury Functions, low to substantial with respect to Accounting, Recording and Reporting, and substantial with respect to Internal Control, External Scrutiny and Audit. Overall, it found risks to be moderate."}, {"bbox": [83, 608, 1147, 690], "category": "Text", "text": "The GRN has, in 2022, prepared a draft Fiscal Risk Mitigating Framework (FRMF) to provide an overview of the main fiscal risks in Namibia and the response of the government to reduce the likelihood of their realization and their impact on the budget."}, {"bbox": [83, 714, 1147, 849], "category": "Text", "text": "Given that the last PEFA was conducted in 2016, it would be beneficial to commission a further PEFA and to ensure that its findings are widely disseminated. In addition, AFS recommends that a Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) should be undertaken in 2022 for public investment management strengthening by incorporating recurrent cost implications of public investment decisions in medium-term ceilings, and strengthening project preparation through better screening, appraisal and selection processes."}, {"bbox": [83, 874, 1147, 928], "category": "Text", "text": "In conclusion, the public finance management reform strategy is sufficiently relevant and credible, including on domestic revenue mobilisation, and the eligibility criterion is met."}, {"bbox": [124, 953, 616, 983], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.3.5 Transparency and Oversight of the Budget"}, {"bbox": [83, 990, 1147, 1179], "category": "Text", "text": "The Annual Budget is published online on the day that it is tabled in Namibia. The executive's budget proposal gets tabled in the National Parliament and is made available online at the Ministry of Finance's website. The Budget Speech, Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, the Fiscal Strategy and the MTEF document for this current financial year 2022/23 were made available when the budget was tabled (24th February 2022). The Development Budget Estimates and MTEF are also available for 2022/23 to 2024/25 on the NPC website. This document is well-produced and contains a wealth of information about Government's development spending, and the current version has information up to mid-February 2022."}, {"bbox": [83, 1204, 1147, 1258], "category": "Text", "text": "Since 2015, Namibia has increased the availability of budget information by publishing the Budget Mid-Year Review and a Citizen's Guide on the budget (in different seven local languages) online."}, {"bbox": [83, 1283, 1147, 1497], "category": "Text", "text": "According to the 2021 Open Budget Index (OBI), Namibia scored 42 on the 2021 OBI (from 51 for the 2019 OBI and 50 for the 2017 OBI). Out of the 120 countries assessed Namibia came 72nd, from 47th in 2019 and 2017. Namibia was the fifteenth best performer in Africa the fourth in the Southern African region (behind South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique). Namibia published 6 of the 8 required public documents within the timeframe set by the survey. The dip in Namibia's transparency score comes mainly because government did not publish its Accountability Report on time in 2020 while the Auditor General's report on government finances was published so late it could not be considered. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was a mitigating factor in the late publication of the Accountability Report."}, {"bbox": [83, 1521, 1147, 1656], "category": "Text", "text": "There is still limited oversight during the budget process, with Parliament and the Office of the Auditor-General, together, having a composite oversight score of 48 (out of 100) in the 2021 OBI Index (from 46 in 2019). The Office of the Auditor-General continues to provide adequate budget oversight. However, timely production and quality of Annual Audit Reports covering the Financial Statements of Central Government, Regional and Local Governments and Statutory Bodies still needs to be improved. To further strengthen independence and improve audit oversight the"}, {"bbox": [572, 1661, 657, 1689], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page | 15"}]