BIG Pilot Project - Assessment Report - BIG Coalition Namibia

3.5 Concluding remarksmotion of gender equality, the reduction of child mortality,combating diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria,and ensuring environmental sustainability. The empiricalresults in Otjivero-Omitara have shown that a BIGwill have a positive impact in all these areas.While the BIG alone cannot solve all of Namibia's socialand economic problems, it will certainly make a substantialcontribution. One of our findings in Otjivero-Omitara was that the grant has reduced the dependencyof young women on men for their survival. TheBIG has given women a measure of control over theirown sexuality, freeing them to some extent from thepressure to engage in transactional sex.There is no doubt that the cost of a BIG is substantial -ranging from 2.2% to 3.0% of national income. Asshown by the calculations in this report, Namibia hasthe capacity to mobilise the necessary resourceswithout undermining financial stability. On the contrary,over time, as Namibia benefits from the long termgrowth impact, the Basic Income Grant will become increasinglymore affordable. Moderate adjustments toVAT and income tax, alternatively royalties levied onnatural resources, or a shift in budget priorities or acombination of these interventions, will make a nationalBIG an immediate option for Namibia. Its implementationis thus merely a question of political will.As shown bythe calculationsin thisreport, Namibiahas thecapacity tomobilise thenecessaryresourceswithout underminingfinancialstability. Itsimplementationis thusmerely aquestion ofpoliticalwill.97