The Independent Patriots for Change's (IPC) Rodney Cloete said the 2025/26 national budget leaves limited fiscal space for developmental programmes.

Cloete said the over N$106 billion budget reveals the government's priorities amidst significant trade-offs. 

Personnel expenditure alone is estimated at N$30 to N$40 billion, which represents approximately 32% to 43% of the total budget.

Combined with a debt servicing cost of over N$13 billion, Cloete believes the result leaves limited fiscal space for developmental programmes.

"This situation creates a sobering narrative for the average Namibian household. It mirrors a family spending nearly half its income on salaries and loan repayments with little left for investments in their future."

Cloete, who is also the shadow minister of the Ministry of International Relations and Trade, cautioned that merging these departments is not an achievement in itself, but delivering measurable outcomes is.

"The ministry's allocation of N$1.2 billion in this financial year and N$3.8 billion over the MTEF represents an increase from N$964.9 million in 2024/25. However, with this representing slightly over 1% of the national budget, we must question whether this reflects the true strategic value of diplomacy and trade in our national development."

Also expressing concern over the 21% tariff on Namibian exports, US President Donald Trump, he proposed that the ministry formally engage the US administration to negotiate tariff exemptions in coordination with other African countries, accelerate efforts to open alternative markets and re-evaluate the proportion of the national budget allocated to international relations in light of its growing importance.