Govt Urged to Re-look BIG - by John Ekongo
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Govt Urged to Re-look BIG
When the ha...
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WINDHOEK - The Vice-Chairperson and SWAPO legislator in the National Council Margaret Mensah-Williams has urged government to revisit its stance not to support the basic income grant (BIG), saying that this is tantamount to neglecting its citizens.
Mensah-Williams rose to support the initiative in parliament recently hailing it as a step towards poverty alleviation during the closing debate of the 2009/2010-Appropriation Bill (Budget)
The basic income grant is an initiative of a broad-based civil society coalition consisting of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), the Namibian Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (NANGOF), the Namibian National Aids Service Organisation (NANASO), the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) and the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI).
Though the Namibian Tax Consortium (NAMTAX), a government appointed commission, first made the proposal for a basic income grant in Namibia public in 2002, government stalled saying that it would be realistically difficult to sustain it in light of an ever-growing population and uncertain trade patterns for the country.
The consortium made the proposal for a basic income grant in light of the high poverty levels and the unequal distribution of income (income inequality) in Namibia.
"I publicly give my support for it since it really assists the poorest of the poor. The Namibian Constitution Article 95 (g) states "¦ 'enactment of legislation to ensure that the unemployed, the incapacitated, the indigent and the disadvantaged are accorded such social benefits and amenities as are determined by Parliament to be just and affordable with due regard to the resources of the state'," Mensah Williams said in the National Council last week Thursday.
"Therefore, let us encourage and assist them to debate and influence government policy decisions, to support the initiative," Mensah-Williams told fellow MP's.
The current debate about a basic income grant in Namibia is based on the following proposal: A monthly cash grant of not less than N$100 to be paid to every Namibian citizen as a citizen's right. It was initially thought that every Namibian would receive such a grant until pension age from where onwards he/she is eligible to the existing universal state old age pension of N$450.
The money will be covered through adjustments in the tax system. However, the idea has not gone down well with government. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), took up the proposal with the Namibian civil society and has evolved into the BIG Coalition.
The BIG is to date the biggest civil society project united in fighting poverty. The secretariat of the coalition is hosted by the desk for social development (ELCRN), which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the campaign.
A pilot project is currently running near Omitara.
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Mensah-Williams rose to support the initiative in parliament recently hailing it as a step towards poverty alleviation during the closing debate of the 2009/2010-Appropriation Bill (Budget)
The basic income grant is an initiative of a broad-based civil society coalition consisting of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN), the Namibian Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (NANGOF), the Namibian National Aids Service Organisation (NANASO), the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) and the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI).
Though the Namibian Tax Consortium (NAMTAX), a government appointed commission, first made the proposal for a basic income grant in Namibia public in 2002, government stalled saying that it would be realistically difficult to sustain it in light of an ever-growing population and uncertain trade patterns for the country.
The consortium made the proposal for a basic income grant in light of the high poverty levels and the unequal distribution of income (income inequality) in Namibia.
"I publicly give my support for it since it really assists the poorest of the poor. The Namibian Constitution Article 95 (g) states "¦ 'enactment of legislation to ensure that the unemployed, the incapacitated, the indigent and the disadvantaged are accorded such social benefits and amenities as are determined by Parliament to be just and affordable with due regard to the resources of the state'," Mensah Williams said in the National Council last week Thursday.
"Therefore, let us encourage and assist them to debate and influence government policy decisions, to support the initiative," Mensah-Williams told fellow MP's.
The current debate about a basic income grant in Namibia is based on the following proposal: A monthly cash grant of not less than N$100 to be paid to every Namibian citizen as a citizen's right. It was initially thought that every Namibian would receive such a grant until pension age from where onwards he/she is eligible to the existing universal state old age pension of N$450.
The money will be covered through adjustments in the tax system. However, the idea has not gone down well with government. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), took up the proposal with the Namibian civil society and has evolved into the BIG Coalition.
The BIG is to date the biggest civil society project united in fighting poverty. The secretariat of the coalition is hosted by the desk for social development (ELCRN), which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the campaign.
A pilot project is currently running near Omitara.
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