Domestic Debt Interest Surpasses Education Funding in 2027 Draft Budget
The Gambia’s Minister of Finance tabled the 2027 Draft Budget in Parliament on 25th September 2026, requesting a domestic debt interest payment exceeding funding for education and health separately. Askanwi’s budget research has revealed that in 2025 and 2026, education funding (MoBSE and MoHERST) was above domestic debt interest. However, this is all set to change in the 2027 Draft Budget.
More in this budget report.
Almost D380 Million Short? Finance Minister Under-reports Domestic Debt Interest
A comparison between the Finance Minister’s latest Budget Implementation Report to Parliament and the Government’s own Public Debt Bulletins has revealed that Finance Minister Keita under-reported domestic debt interest payments by up to D376 million for the first six months of 2026.
More in this feature publication.
Finance Minister: D10 Billion Domestic Debt is Legacy Debt from Previous Regime
The Gambia’s Finance Minister, Hon. Seedy S. Keita, has revealed that approximately D10 billion of the country’s D52.91 billion domestic debt stock consists of legacy debts inherited from the previous administration of former President Yahya Jammeh. Our budget research reveals that this only accounts for 19% of the total domestic debt.
More in this news report from the Finance Minister’s Parliamentary Budget Implementation Report.
Donate to Askanwi
Why Support Askanwi?
Donate to Askanwi's GoFundMe: Support Askanwi - Reliable News for The Gambia
Askanwi is dedicated to bridging the gap for reliable, balanced, and citizen-centered news that directly impacts the lives of its readers.
By closely monitoring the progress of the country's transitional process, Askanwi continues to lead with powerful human interest stories, including the ongoing coverage of the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) crisis, the drafting of the new Constitution, and the rollout of the Transitional Justice Program—just to name a few.
Your generous support will enable Askanwi to continue its important work: following the AKI saga, breaking stories of corruption, investigating public malfeasance, producing quarterly newsletters, and ensuring the continued operation of Askanwi Media.
Donate to Askanwi’s GoFundMe: Support Askanwi - Reliable News for The Gambia