By: Fatou Krubally
Members of the National Assembly have questioned government spending on presidential visits, after lawmakers cited expenditure of D75.9 million by August 2026 against an approved allocation of D50 million, during debate on the 2027 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure on Monday.
The issue was raised by Almameh Gibba, the member for Foni Kansala, who questioned the level of spending against the approved budget and called for stronger financial discipline in the management of public funds.
Gibba told the Assembly that the figures available to him showed that expenditure on presidential visits had reached D75.9 million by August, exceeding the approved allocation by D25.9 million.
He said the expenditure was part of wider concerns about budget implementation and the need to ensure that public spending remained within approved limits.
The issue had also been raised by Lamin Ceesay, the member for Kiang West, who cited D75 million in spending against an approved allocation of D50 million for presidential visits.
Ceesay questioned the effectiveness of existing controls over public expenditure, arguing that the National Assembly’s approval of budget allocations should carry weight in how government funds are subsequently used.
He called for stronger legislative oversight to prevent ministries and other government institutions from moving funds between budget lines without the required approval.
The concerns emerged as lawmakers began debating the consolidated report of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) on the 2027 estimates.
The debate also touched on the pressure government spending faces from debt servicing and the need to provide adequate funding for essential public services.
Ceesay questioned whether budget priorities were adequately addressing the difficulties faced by ordinary Gambians, including shortages of hospital beds and transport challenges affecting students travelling to the University of The Gambia’s Faraba campus.
He said some women who had recently given birth were sharing beds at health facilities, while other patients were lying on the floor because of shortages.
Gibba, meanwhile, raised concerns over unpaid allowances owed to security personnel and outstanding scholarship payments affecting higher education institutions.
The lawmakers’ concerns come as the Assembly scrutinises the proposed 2027 budget, which projects total government expenditure of D48.5 billion under local funds and D66.7 billion across all funds, excluding net lending, according to the FPAC report.
The report also projects debt servicing to rise from D13.46 billion in 2026 to D16.17 billion in 2027, an increase of 20.2 per cent. The budget debate is expected to continue as members examine the government’s proposed allocations and consider recommendations from the Assembly’s committees.
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