By Fatou B. Cham
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA), through the Directorate of Budget, recently held the Citizens’ Budget Dialogue 2025, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
The participants included ministries, departments and agencies, Civil Society Organisations, the University of The Gambia, and many others. The primary objectives are to provide more simplified version of the national approved budget, to improve citizen participation in the budget process and to promote transparency and accountability on the side of the government.
The presentations were centred on the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Security, the Ministry of High Research Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Health, among other ministries.
At the launch ceremony, Deputy Permanent Secretary Juldeh Ceesay of MoFEA highlighted the importance of transparency, inclusive governance, and people-centered development.
The DPS explained that the Citizens’ Budget is a tool that aims to make the national budget more accessible and understandable to all Gambians, regardless of their educational background. The budget is a reflection of citizens’ needs and taxes, he added, noting that MoFEA continues to invest in producing simplified versions of the national budget to ensure understanding.
“The Citizens’ Budget 2025 outlines key government priorities for the coming year, chosen through careful planning, policy dialogue, and consultation with stakeholders. These priorities align with the country’s green recovery focused national development plan, and Sustainable Development Goals. The Citizen Budget serves as a bridge between government and citizen, empowering ordinary Gambians to understand decisions and participate in them,” she stated.
Madam Juldeh Ceesay went on to commend the Budget Directorate and the Ministry of Finance team for their efforts in preparing these documents, as well as the EU and other development partners.
Marr Nyang, CEO of Gambia Participates, affirmed that the simplified version aims to make it more accessible and interactive for citizens, as they pay taxes and contribute to the revenue that the government plans for development programmes. He noted that a significant portion of the budget comes from taxes, non-taxes, and grants raised in the name of the citizens.
Nyang believes that without citizens’ interest in the budget, it would be difficult to understand the country’s public finance management. “Participating in the process allows for the presentation of the budget, allocation, and programmes. The budget is a period of evaluation, and citizens should ask questions before executing it,” he further asserted.
The European Union representative, Tarih Kuback, highlighted the importance of a citizen budget dialogue meeting in The Gambia, where citizen budgets are presented and discussed across government and civil society.
Kuback commends the Ministry of Finance for organising such meetings annually and also emphasised the importance of budget transparency for the EU, as it determines if a government is eligible for budget support.
He highlighted the increased accessibility of public documents, increased interaction between National Development Authority (NDA) and the Ministry of Finance during the budget formulation process, and increased interaction between supreme audit institutions, the national audit office, and the National Assembly.
In conclusion, Kuback commended the progress made by The Gambia government in improving budget transparency, highlighting the need for more public documents, increased interaction between NDAs and the Ministry of Finance, and increased interaction between supreme audit institutions and the National Audit Office.
