16 Nov 2023
ALWONIA IZAAKS
THE poverty eradication ministry has increased pensions and grants by N$50, to be implemented next month.
In a statement yesterday, the ministry’s permanent secretary, I-Ben Nashandi, said the increase will be backdated to April this year.
Nashandi said all beneficiaries will receive N$1 450 in August, which includes a N$200 back pay for April, May, June and July.
After that, a monthly amount of N$1 250 will be paid out to all beneficiaries as from September 2018.
“The Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare urges all beneficiaries to ensure that these grants are used for the welfare of the beneficiaries and their families,” Nashandi advised.
The ministry’s announcement comes a week after the country’s largest grain-processing company Namib Mills increased the prices of maize meal, wheat flour, complete mix, rice, pasta, yeast, instant maize porridge and mahangu products.
Research associate at the Economic Association of Namibia, Klaus Schade yesterday pointed out that due to the country’s inflation rate, the N$50 increment is not sufficient to cushion the beneficiaries, but stressed that this may be what the government can afford now.
Poverty eradication minister Zephania Kameeta told parliament earlier this year that there were about 211 400 grant beneficiaries countrywide, and government had budgeted N$77 million for them.
“Given the adverse global economic environment that also has a negative bearing on the local economy, I believe we can continue to ‘do more with less’ resources,” he said at the time.