Otjozondjupa Region Governor James Uerikua is calling for the inclusion of the agricultural sector in the Public Finance Management Bill.

The governor made this call during a stakeholder consultation meeting with the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises on the bill. 

Namibia is said to be lagging behind compared to other African countries that have implemented several public finance management laws.

The proposed bill aims to replace the State Finance Act, which has been in operation for over three decades.

The Act provides for the regulation of the receipt, custody, and banking of, the accounting for, and the control and disposal of state money, stamps, securities, forms having a face or potential value, equipment, stores, and other movable goods owned or leased by the state.

Governor Uerikua underscored the need for the finance team to ensure an inclusive formulation process, with emphasis on the agricultural sector.

"The same goes down to the crop production sector; we have seen a significant reduction in production as far as crops are concerned, and this is destabilising the food reliance and food self-sustainability of our region and that of the country at large. Efforts are to be put in place, and that includes that when bills of this nature are to be reviewed, they need to align with the realistic situation that we are facing and finding ourselves in."

Expenditure and Finance Management Director Martinus Nakale shed light on the broader scope and objectives of the Public Finance Management Bill.

"The State Finance Act in its current form does not provide the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprise with sufficient oversight power to ensure that the offices, ministries, and agencies of the government and also public enterprises exercise effective control over budget execution and the production of timely and reliable financial reports."

The Director of Budget Management and Control in the Ministry, Tania Nankela, highlighted some procedural challenges they face.

"There are no statutory deadlines when it comes to submissions, no matter whether we wrote something, but as long as it's not by law, people will not really comply with it. Currently, we are experiencing challenges in terms of getting submissions, and we are held back because Ministry X did not submit. But if it's to be passed into law, at least if you don't submit, we can proceed and go to parliament without any budget when it does not submit."