Finance Minister Set to Deliver Budget Implementation Update After Multiple No-Shows

Finance Minister Hon Seedy Keita © Askanwi

By Edward Francis Dalliah

After months of delays and repeated absences, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Seedy Keita, is once again scheduled to appear before the National Assembly to deliver a long-overdue oral statement on the full implementation and monitoring of the 2024 and the first quarter of the 2025 national budget.

According to the newly published Approved Agenda dated Monday, 2nd June 2025, during the Second Ordinary Session of the 2025 Legislative Year, the Finance Minister is expected to address lawmakers on Monday, 16th June 2025, on the session's opening day. His appearance is listed under “Statements by Hon. Ministers,” under Standing Order 94(1), which mandates regular ministerial updates on the budget.

This scheduled appearance follows a pattern of past absences that have raised widespread concern and questions about government transparency. As previously reported by this media, Minister Keita failed to appear during the 2nd and 3rd Ordinary Sessions of 2024, as well as during the 1st Ordinary Session of 2025 in March, when he was expected to brief the Assembly on public spending. Each missed appearance left lawmakers without critical information needed for effective oversight and further fuelled doubts about the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

Hon Muhammed Kanteh of Busumbala © Askanwi

It is worth noting that despite his no-show in parliament, no substitute statements were provided by the government for those missed appearances. Efforts to ascertain the reason behind these continuous absences pointed to overseas commitments. During the parliamentary sitting on 18th March 2025, following the Finance Minister’s latest absence, our reporter asked Hon. Muhammed Kanteh of Busumbala for his reaction. He responded, “I blame the Assembly Business Committee. If I make thorough consultations with the Minister and schedule the Minister to appear on this specific day, there should be no circumstances in which I allow the Minister to be absent. That day should be respected as a day to give us feedback on budgetary allocations and expenditures.”

But, despite these repeated absences, lawmakers have not yet taken formal action, just as they did when the Minister delayed submission of the 2025 national budget in November last year, an issue that eventually prompted legal action by civil society groups. Currently, Gambians still do not have a full account of how public funds were spent in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. With the Minister’s appearance now scheduled for 16th June, it’s not clear if his statement will provide clarity on the execution of both the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

If the Finance Minister’s statement aims to cover his no-shows and give a conclusive update, his statement will include updates on revenue collection, sectoral spending, and any challenges or adjustments made during the 2024 fiscal year and the first quarter of 2025.

In addition to his 16th June address, the Minister is also listed for oral questioning on 25th June, providing lawmakers with another opportunity to scrutinise the government's fiscal performance and demand accountability. As the legislative session opens, the public will be watching closely to see whether this marks a genuine shift toward greater budget transparency or yet another missed opportunity.