By: Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly Tuesday, 12th December, 2023, approved the sum of Twenty-Nine Billion, Two Hundred and Twenty-one Million, One Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-three Dalasi (D29,221,188,443.00) for expenditure in the 2024 fiscal year.
This sum, which is captured in appropriation budget, was approved by the Committee of Supply (committee of the whole house) of the assembly, after the estimates of revenue and expenditure for the 2024 fiscal year was tabled before the National Assembly on Friday, 17th November, 2023 by the Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy Keita.
This was followed by three days’ pre-budget retreat organized by the Assembly to prepare and enabled lawmakers to effectively and properly scrutinize the estimates so that a befitting budget is approved for the entities to provide services to the Gambia, to improve their living condition and enhance and boost their livelihoods.
The retreat was also followed by a bilateral committee meeting, which witnessed legislative committees inviting their respective Ministries to appear before them and defend their various budgets.
From there, the assembly debated on the estimates and it was committed to the committee of supply for consideration, during which the lawmakers made deductions and adjustments in the budget lines of the entities where it was necessary.
After the said debate, the assembly worked with the Finance Ministry to incorporate the adjustments made and reconcile the final amount approved by the assembly.
The said total appropriated by the Assembly was yesterday considered and approved by the committee of supply and thus the budget entities will now wait for January, 2024 for the Finance Minister to make the disbursements so that they can commence implementing their development activities in the 2024 fiscal year.
Below is the breakdown of the said approved appropriation for the entities for the 2024 fiscal year
Office of the President D872,071.521.00
National Assembly D473,218,644.00
Judiciary D296,297,352.00
Independent Electoral Commission D46,195,087.00
Public Service Commission D16,485,000.00
National Audit Office D225,995,038.00
Ministry of Defence D992,922,810.00
Ministry of Interior D1,611,400,968.00
Ministry of Tourism and Culture D46,199,000.00
Ministry of Foreign Affairs D1,793,403,477.00
Ministry of Justice D224,375,190.00
Ministry of Finance D1,968,405,278.00
Pensions and Gratuities D515,000,000.00
Office of the Ombudsman D41,903,892.00
Centralized Services D607,881,000.00
Ministry of Lands and Regional Government D381,635,000.00
Ministry of Agriculture D844,809,675,00
Ministry of Transport D2,637, 133,176.00
Ministry of Trade D116,424,107.00
Ministry of Basic Education D4,194,845,999.00
Ministry of Health D2,323,916,292.00
Ministry of Youth and Sports D122,395,144.00
Ministry OF Environment D300,644,000.00
Ministry of Information D39,773,660.00
Ministry of Fisheries D53,800,000.00
Ministry of Higher Education D204,412,961.00
Ministry of Petroleum D218,567,926.00
Ministry of Gender D81,107,063.10
National Human Rights Commission D74,537,722.00
Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy D91,418,684.00
Ministry of Public Service D258,617,785.00
National Debt Services D7,509,395,262.00
The total sum of D29,221,188,443.00 was approved by the National Assembly for the above-mentioned entities to finance their development activities in the upcoming fiscal year of 2024 from 1st January, to 31st December, 2024 both days inclusive.
