IPPR investigates election year budgets in quarterly economic review

The Quarterly Economic Review by the Institute for Public Policy Research has investigated whether the government has engaged in overspending related to elections since independence. The review examines budgets during election years, including the 2024/2025 budget, which was introduced ahead of the national elections on 27 November 2024. IPPR Executive Director, Graham Hopwood.

The report also includes the usual quarter summary, news highlights, key economic variables, and data trends. https://ippr.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Namibia-QER-Q1-2024-1.pdf

One of the big questions posed in the I PPR’s report is, “Is there evidence that the government in Namibia uses fiscal policy in election years to secure electoral advantage either on the revenue side of the budget (for example by reducing taxes on important members of the electorate such as farmers or business owners) or on the expenditure side of the budget (for example by increasing spending on social
pensions or on key constituencies)?