THE N$1,8 billion municipal budget, designed to help Windhoek "weather the storm at local level", allocates at least N$1,4 million for entertainment, parties and festivals at the expense of several projects which would have brought relief to the less fortunate communities in the city.

"Financing this year's budget will be a mammoth task," Mayor Matheus Shikongo said at the tabling of the 2009-10 budget on Tuesday night, adding that resources will be even "more constrained" this year.

He took a dip of N$10 000 in his entertainment allowance provided for in the original budget, and will have to make do with N$25 000 this year.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Niilo Taapopi and his team of special executives have N$140 000 to entertain with, though.

In contrast, the Municipality grant to the Katutura Old Age Home is N$47 000.

And their support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) is N$80 000.

The City Council also approved N$143 000 for "general entertainment". Exactly what general entertainment is, the budget document does not say.

About N$220 000 will be blown on staff social events, and the Municipality is allowed to run up a refreshment bill of N$132 588 this year.

Meanwhile, the Municipality has not allocated a cent for its Poverty Alleviation Strategy, its Private-Public Partnership Strategy, or a survey on household subsistence level. In the original budget, these projects received N$50 000, N$30 000 and N$10 000.

Cellphone expenses of N$2,1 million have been okayed, and the City may buy books and publications to the tune of N$197 434 this year.

Some N$248 550 are set aside for the "attendance of meetings", and N$150 000 are meant to refund travel expenses.

Compared to this, the City of Windhoek cut its original budget for bus shelters from N$120 000 to N$50 000.

According to the original plan, the Municipality wanted to spend N$50 000 on safety equipment. Now they will spend nothing on this vote.

The City has budgeted N$215 000 for a New Year's Eve party, N$100 000 for Christmas lights and N$75 000 for carnivals and fun days.

But it only has N$20 000 for pollution prevention and N$20 000 for a community library in Greenwell Matongo.

The approved price tag on the various sports, recreation, arts and culture promotions, games and festivals is N$665 000. Another N$90 000 will pay for the organisers of these events.

The budget also allocates N$1,8 million for "special projects" without elaborating on what these might be.

However, no money is available for additional markets or industrial stalls, which received N$10 million in the original budget.

The Council gave the thumbs-up to splash out N$1,5 million on "corporate wear", not to be confused with "uniforms or clothing", for which N$6,8 million was set aside. But the Municipality shelved its plans to upgrade the Katutura Old Age Home, for which N$500 000 was originally budgeted.

Other upgrading projects that were ditched include the existing informal markets, the Old Location Chapel entrance and the Khomasdal cemetery. The City had intended to spend N$700 000, N$650 000 and N$375 000 respectively on these.

A total of N$3 million will be spent on publicity and advertising.

However, the Municipality can't pay N$500 000 for a healthcare risk waste disposal facility or N$15 000 for a road crossing device for the blind.

They are also not willing to invest N$100 000 to establish and upgrade playgrounds for the children of Windhoek. Tabling the budget, Elaine Trepper, Chairperson of the Management Committee of the City Council, said the Municipality's vision to enhance the quality of life of all the residents of the city guided them when the budget was compiled and considered.

She said it was difficult to table a balanced budget "in this time where the world experiences economic hardship and Namibia in general and the City of Windhoek in particular, is not spared".

Nghitila said such a policy will help Namibia get funds from sources such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - one of the mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol - which allows entities from the developed world to invest in carbon-reduction projects in developing countries.

"But we have no policy to guide us," said Nghitila.

"We are actually under pressure to produce the policy. But this is a process that involves consultation," he continued, adding that the Ministry has been visited by people looking for a national climate change policy.

Versatile Environment Consulting (Versacon) compiled a draft proposal for the NCCP Development Process, which was presented by Versacon's environmental scientist, Dr John Mfune.

He said that the policy should harmonise a number of activities including food security; human health and well-being; sustainable energy and low carbon development in addition to raising awareness among locals.

"For example, people should be made aware of when a drought is coming and what they should do," said Mfune.

He also commented that the policy should contribute to Namibia's national development and climate change convention goals.

Namibia ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995, before following it with the Kyoto Protocol in 2004. At the moment, Namibia is busy compiling its Second National Communication to the UNFCCC on how the country is addressing climate change.