NamRa collects N$407 billion, outpaces economy

The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRa) has collected a cumulative N$407 billion in revenue since its establishment in 2020, founding commissioner Sam Shivute announced at the agency's Taxpayer Appreciation Day in Swakopmund this week. 

Shivute highlighted a clear turnaround from the pre-NamRA era, when the Department of Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise Directorate, both under the Ministry of Finance, struggled to exceed N$50 billion in annual collections.

"Before NamRa started, we did not collect revenue of more than N$50 billion. The first time, the revenue target we hit was N$52 billion, and from there, the revenue was just growing. Last year we were talking about N$88 billion; cumulatively you are talking about N$407 billion," he said.

A growth rate the economy never matched

Over its five years, NamRa posted total growth of 53.1% from its first year of operation, translating to a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% — more than double Namibia's average real economic growth of roughly 3.5% over the same period. The broader economy, which contracted sharply by 8.1% in 2020 during the COVID-19 downturn, subsequently recovered at annual rates of between 1.7% and 5.4%, never approaching the agency's sustained pace.

"The growth from the first year until now is 53.1%. That is the growth, but if you also look at the compound growth rate we are talking about, we are likely talking about 8.9%. In our economy over the past five years, there was never a time it grew at 8.9%," Shivute said.

Beyond the budget

NamRa's collections have consistently exceeded the cost of running the state's core obligations. After accounting for its own operating costs of approximately N$4.1 billion, the agency contributed N$353 billion towards government salaries and statutory commitments over the period, revenues that underwrote the bulk of public expenditure.

For the 2025/2026 fiscal year, NamRa surpassed its treasury-set target, collecting N$81.1 billion against a goal of N$79 billion.