Namibia Basic Income Grant

The proposal for a Basic Income Grant in Namibia was made in 2002 by the Namibian Tax Consortium (NAMTAX), a government appointed commission. The consortium made the proposal for a Basic Income Grant in light of the high poverty levels and the unequal distribution of income (income inequality) in Namibia. The debate about a Basic Income Grant in Namibia is based on the following proposal made in 2005: A monthly cash grant of not less than N$100 (~13 US$) should be paid to every Namibian as a right. Every Namibian would receive such a grant until pension age from where onwards he/she is eligible to the existing universal State Old Age Pension of N$500. The money of people not in need or not in poverty would be recuperated through adjustments in the tax system.

Spearheaded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), this proposal was taken up by the Namibian civil society and has evolved into the BIG Coalition, which was formed in April 2005. The Basic Income Grant campaign, which aims at achieving the introduction of a Basic Income Grant in Namibia, has to date been the biggest civil society project united in fighting poverty. The Coalition consists of the Council of Churches (CCN), the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the umbrella body of the NGOs (NANGOF), the umbrella body of the AIDS organisations (NANASO), the National Youth Service (NYC), the Church Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) and the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI).From 2008 to 2009, the BIG Coalition has implemented the first ever pilot project of a BIG in the village of Otjivero in Namibia.