Namibia

Following a period of strong growth, the Namibian economy is experiencing a slowdown. Despite efforts from the authorities, there is still limited fiscal space to fund through the budget the large capital programs that underpin Namibia’s long-term growth strategy. Consequently, the government is turning to public entities (PE) and public private partnerships (PPPs), which is resulting in a build-up of off-budget commitments and fiscal risks. The government is seeking to develop a framework to strengthen the management and reporting of fiscal risks. Like many countries, Namibia is exposed to a variety of fiscal risks, which should be analyzed and reported annually in a Fiscal Risk Statement (FRS). Fiscal risks are factors that may cause fiscal outcomes to deviate from expectations or forecasts. Should such risks materialize, they could undermine ongoing fiscal consolidation, public debt would continue to deviate from a sustainable path and recovery of investment grade level would be very difficult.