Windhoek: The 2025/26 national budget does not adequately address President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s recent promises regarding job creation, economic analyst Salomo Hei has said. Hei, who is the Managing Director of High Economic Intelligence, told Nampa on Thursday after the tabling of the national budget that the budget statement lacked clear indicators of how spending would align with the president’s stated priorities.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Hei expressed concern that the budget statement did not adequately reflect the president’s commitments, particularly in terms of confidence in the planned spending patterns. He noted the absence of specific measures addressing the operational implications of newly merged ministries, such as the Ministry of Industrialisation, now combined with Mines and Energy.

Hei questioned the lack of clarity on critical issues such as the future of Air Namibia and the management of government assets through a new State-owned entity. These areas, he contended, are essential from a policy perspective.

Additionally, Hei highlighted the distinct allocations for the education and youth sectors, questioning the implications for their operational functionalities. The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Arts and Culture received the highest allocation of N.dollars 24.8 billion, while the Sport, Youth and National Service functions, which also fall under the education ministry, will receive N.dollars 1.3 billion.