N$3
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958
NO 6441 THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2015
Tel +264 64 205 854/+264 64 461 866/Fax +264 64 204 813/+264 64 461 824/Website www.namibtimes.net
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Winter time
Budget - Let the Peoples’ Voice be Heard Bernabé Blaauw
Probably the biggest surprise in the announcement of the national budget for the 2015/16 financial year, is the substantial increase of old-age pensions from N$600 a month to N$1 000 a month. The general feeling is that several meetings and Page 2 calls from pensioners for an increase to N$1 200 a month, reached the newlyelected Cabinet’s ears, and they decided to act on it. Minister of Finance, Calle Schlettwein, made the budget announcement in Parliament on Tuesday and further good news is
Walvis Bay court under siege
that not only primary education but also secondary education will now be for free. In his first budget under the Presidential administration of Dr Hage Geingob, he stated that Namibia has been able to make notable progress and register key achievements, which include the expansion of the economy by a
factor of 15 since 1990, from N$8.3 billion to N$126.6 billion by 2013, with the corresponding income per capita having increased more than 10 times, from N$5 500 to N$58 300, thus propelling Namibia into the league of upper middle-income economies by global comparison; improved access
to education, health facilities and basic amenities; reduction in relative poverty from 38 percent in 1993/94 to 20 percent by 2009/10 and pushing back extreme poverty from 9 percent to 2.0 percent over the same period, and in spite of the difficult adjustment period stemming from the effects of
the global financial crisis, Namibia was able to have its investment grade sovereign credit ratings by Moody’s and Fitch reaffirmed as stable. Schlettwein said that although Namibia’s economic growth so far has been positive and moderately high, it largely remained jobless, with unemployment perpetually
Minister of Finance, Calle Schlettwein high, and now standing at 28.1 percent. The total expenditure for the 2015/16 financial year is N$67.08 billion with an expected income of about Continues on page 2
Kettingbotsing op Kuisebmond-brug
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Foto deur Madelaine Laubscher
Namsov's CEO resigns
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Miss De Duine Crowned
Vier voertuie, insluitende twee taxis was laat gisternamiddag in ‘n kettingbotsing op die Kuisebmond-brug in Walvisbaai betrokke. Teen druktyd kon die amptelike oorsaak van die ongeluk nie bevestig word nie. Daar word vermoed dat die voertuie nie by die vasgestelde volgafstand gehou het nie en dat spoed dalk ook ‘n rol gespeel het.
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Arrows ready for Bidvest
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Amupanda urges Swakopmunders to stick together Sharlien Tjambari
Thousands of Swakopmunders, mainly the youth, queued up in front of the Town Hall on Tuesday, in order to receive their letters of application for land from the town’s municipality. The leader of the national Affirmative Repositioning group, Mr Job Amupanda, also came to witness this historic event. According to him, he
only came to observe the situation on the ground. The application letters serve to inform the municipality on exactly how many people are
desperate for land. “If you sign that letter, you will get land, once the Government or Municipality decide to distribute land,” Amupanda told the applicants.
He further stated that everyone in Namibia needs land and stressed out that even the poor have the right to have a place they can call home. He advised the
people not to hand in their letters until they (Affirmative Repositioning group) give them the green light to do so, reason being that the municipality could try
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Mr Job Amupanda