Itula says presidential salary ‘too much’, but...
IPC also plans to get rid of municipal CEOs
The IPC leader says he will get rid of 200 board members of public enterprises, which themselves will be reduced by 57%.
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Dr Panduleni Itula says the current salary of the Namibian president – which is N$150 000 per month – is too much, but he would not commit to cutting it if elected to that position.
Rather, he will put his salary in a trust from which vulnerable members of society, such as needy students, would be assisted, he said.
The IPC president added that he already helps needy students, but does not publicise this gesture.
President Hage Geingob earns an annual salary of N$1.82 million, equating to a monthly salary of just over N$150 000.
On the Mad Futures podcast, Itula said: “A salary of N$150 000 is too much for the president. A salary of N$2.2 million is too much for a CEO [of a public enterprise]. We’ll have to look at that. I will give my salary to a trust so that I help others”.
When Namibian Sun asked Itula yesterday whether he implied that his salary as president would be cut, he said: “What is the podcast stating? Is it referring to a salary ‘cut’ or is it implicitly suggesting [that the salary will be utilised] for good causes, given reference to already supporting several students?”
“There are a considerable number of changes contained in our governance agenda and legislative agenda. Further, we have extensively revised the executive agenda and its remuneration and should be in a position to incorporate such with ease in our legislative agenda.”
Massive reforms
Asked how the CEOs’ salaries would be dealt with should IPC take control of government, Itula said his government would embark on “massive constitutional reforms”, which would include the abolishment of local authority CEOs. Councils will be headed by mayors, he said.
As a first step, the party would need a two-thirds majority electoral victory to effect constitutional amendments.
“With CEOs [of public enterprises], we have a perfectly legitimate formula that will see not only a reduction of [public enterprises] from 93 to 53, thus getting rid of some 200 board members and their associated sitting allowances, but also placing a price tag on performance and achievements,” he told Namibian Sun.
“These will tie in with fiscal and monitory policy reforms we already formulated and [will be] able to implement within the first six weeks of taking office, according to our governance milestone reference.”
Another bite
Itula, a dentist, ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 presidential election, and garnered 29% of the vote. Geingob garnered 56%.
A former Swapo member who was expelled from that party in early 2020 after challenging Geingob in the presidential election, Itula went on to form the IPC.
In the 2020 regional and local authority elections, his party took control of the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay local authorities, as well as constituencies in the Erongo Region.
Itula will have another bite at the presidential cherry in 2024, after IPC fielded him as its candidate against Swapo’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and other aspirants opposition parties will field.
Rather, he will put his salary in a trust from which vulnerable members of society, such as needy students, would be assisted, he said.
The IPC president added that he already helps needy students, but does not publicise this gesture.
President Hage Geingob earns an annual salary of N$1.82 million, equating to a monthly salary of just over N$150 000.
On the Mad Futures podcast, Itula said: “A salary of N$150 000 is too much for the president. A salary of N$2.2 million is too much for a CEO [of a public enterprise]. We’ll have to look at that. I will give my salary to a trust so that I help others”.
When Namibian Sun asked Itula yesterday whether he implied that his salary as president would be cut, he said: “What is the podcast stating? Is it referring to a salary ‘cut’ or is it implicitly suggesting [that the salary will be utilised] for good causes, given reference to already supporting several students?”
“There are a considerable number of changes contained in our governance agenda and legislative agenda. Further, we have extensively revised the executive agenda and its remuneration and should be in a position to incorporate such with ease in our legislative agenda.”
Massive reforms
Asked how the CEOs’ salaries would be dealt with should IPC take control of government, Itula said his government would embark on “massive constitutional reforms”, which would include the abolishment of local authority CEOs. Councils will be headed by mayors, he said.
As a first step, the party would need a two-thirds majority electoral victory to effect constitutional amendments.
“With CEOs [of public enterprises], we have a perfectly legitimate formula that will see not only a reduction of [public enterprises] from 93 to 53, thus getting rid of some 200 board members and their associated sitting allowances, but also placing a price tag on performance and achievements,” he told Namibian Sun.
“These will tie in with fiscal and monitory policy reforms we already formulated and [will be] able to implement within the first six weeks of taking office, according to our governance milestone reference.”
Another bite
Itula, a dentist, ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 presidential election, and garnered 29% of the vote. Geingob garnered 56%.
A former Swapo member who was expelled from that party in early 2020 after challenging Geingob in the presidential election, Itula went on to form the IPC.
In the 2020 regional and local authority elections, his party took control of the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay local authorities, as well as constituencies in the Erongo Region.
Itula will have another bite at the presidential cherry in 2024, after IPC fielded him as its candidate against Swapo’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and other aspirants opposition parties will field.
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