Coping With COVID-19 Effects — Here’s What Namibia Is Doing To Govt Officials

Namibia government on Thursday said it was suspending purchase of new cars for public office holders till 2025.

President Hage Geingob announced the ban on his official twitter page.

Geingob said the decision was informed by the “difficult period of COVID-19.”

He also directed a cap on monthly fuel consumption by public office holders.

“Government will not order a new vehicle fleet for the Executive and Public Office Bearers for the period 2020-2025,” he wrote.

“Savings of 200 million Namibia dollars (about $10.8 million) will be directed to urgent priority areas.”

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A statement he shared added that by “constantly directing government offices, ministries and agencies to do more with less,”

He disclosed that major savings across the government system have been achieved over the past five years since Geingob.

“Government spending has been reduced by 9%, annual travel and subsistence allowances have been cut by 62%,” it added.

A country of 2.5 million people, Namibia’s gross domestic product $14.52 billion as of 2018.

The country has so far recorded 16 cases of the coronavirus.