Windhoek: IPC member of Parliament Abed Hishoono on Tuesday criticised the government's 2026/27 budget priorities, saying allocations to the creative arts, youth development, and higher education are inconsistent with long-standing policy commitments.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Hishoono, contributing to the National Budget debate in the National Assembly, stated that the creative arts sector remains marginalised despite repeated government promises to develop it into a viable industry. He highlighted that Vote 27 received N.dollars 750 million, of which 45 percent was allocated to sports development and facilities, while the creative arts received N.dollars 50 million, or 6.7 percent of the vote. Of that amount, N.dollars 5 million is earmarked for awards, festivals, and summits.
Hishoono pointed out that the allocation falls significantly short of the Swapo Party's manifesto commitment of N.dollars 2 billion for the creative arts over five years. He remarked, 'At this pace, it will take 40 years to fulfil five years' worth of commitments,' adding that the budget does not illustrate how the sector will create jobs, businesses, or export opportunities.
He also expressed concern over youth empowerment funding, noting that the manifesto implementation plan commits N.dollars 1.7 billion annually to youth development, including support for 6,000 businesses each year. However, the current budget provides only N.dollars 118 million, which he said amounts to merely seven percent of the promised allocation.
On the matter of sports infrastructure, Hishoono questioned the sustainability of continued investment in large stadiums, arguing that Namibia's small population cannot support such facilities. He cited delayed projects and the underutilisation of existing stadiums as indicators of an unsustainable model.
Hishoono further welcomed the government's commitment to free tertiary education but cautioned that inadequate funding for infrastructure expansion could undermine the policy. He mentioned that the University of Namibia and the Namibia University of Science and Technology face a combined funding shortfall of N.dollars 1.4 billion to meet current demand.
He called for the creative arts sector to be treated as a fully-fledged industry, with a development pipeline that leads to sustainable employment, particularly for graduates produced by local institutions. 'The system continues to produce skilled graduates without creating space for them to be absorbed, and that needs to change,' he said.