14 govt institutions return N$1.2bn to treasury

Fourteen government offices, ministries and agencies returned N$1.2 billion to the state coffers last year, according to auditor general Junias Kandjeke’s audit report on government’s books for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Kandjeke issued the government a qualified audit opinion.

The audit noted that underexpenditure totalled N$1.2 billion in 2024/25, down by N$187.6 million from N$1.4 billion the previous year.

Among the institutions that handed back money was the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which returned N$28.5 million.

The ACC has frequently decried underfunding as a major stumbling block in its anti-graft efforts.

The National Assembly underspent its N$196 million budget by N$23 million, while the National Council returned N$11.4 million of its N$136.6 million allocation.

The health ministry was allocated N$11.3 billion that financial year, of which N$352.7 million was returned.

The agriculture, fisheries and land reform ministry underspent its N$2.1 billion budget by N$101.1 million.

The former ministry of labour, industrial relations and employment creation underspent its N$210 million budget by N$13.9 million, while the mines and energy ministry returned N$10 million of its approved N$412.9 million budget.

The National Planning Commission underspent its N$232.5 million budget by N$8.2 million.

The former ministry of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare had an approved budget of N$8.1 billion and spent N$7.8 billion, resulting in an underspend of N$214 million.

Unauthorised spending

The water department, which was allocated N$1 billion, returned N$68.2 million to the treasury.

While other offices, ministries and agencies (OMAs) underspent their budgets, the defence ministry exceeded its allocation.

“The ministry’s actual expenditure amounted to N$7.1 billion against an authorised N$6.9 billion, resulting in an overspending of N$252.9 million,” the audit noted.

The audit underlined that the overspend violates the State Finance Act, which prohibits government spending from exceeding the amount approved in the budget.

“This constitutes unauthorised expenditure as defined in the Act,” Kandjeke said.