Finance Minister to Table Cabinet 2026 Budget Proposal Requesting D59.3 Billion in Expenditures
Finance Minister Hon Seedy Keita © Askanwi
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Gambia’s Finance Minister, Hon. Seedy S. Keita, is set to table Cabinet’s 2026 Budget Proposal on Friday, 31st October 2025, requesting Parliamentary approval of D59.3 billion in expenditures.
After the Finance Minister failed to table Cabinet’s 2025 Budget Proposal on time last year as dictated by the 1997 Constitution, civil society advocates filed a lawsuit against the Finance Minister and the National Assembly for non-compliance. However, this year, parliamentarians will get the full 60 days mandated to review and approve the 2026 budget.
According to the Cabinet’s Budget Proposal, also known as the 2026 Draft Budget obtained by Askanwi Media, the government plans to raise D32.2 billion in revenue, up from the D29 billion approved for 2025.
Revenue vs Expenditures © MoFEA digitised by Askanwi
The biggest item in the Expenditure Budget Funding Overview is D25.7 billion on recurrent expenditure, up from D22.3 billion approved for 2025. The 2026 Draft Budget plans to spend D20.1 billion in development expenditures next year, up from the D19.6 billion parliamentarians approved for 2025.
Turning our attention to actual expenditures, it can be seen that the government spent only D2.3 billion in development expenditures in 2024, which is significantly less than the D18.2 billion approved for recurrent expenditures for 2025.
The fact that D17 billion was approved for development expenditures in 2024 and only D2.3 billion was actually spent indicates a disconnect between Parliament’s approved budget and how the government implements the budget. This raises questions if the D19.6 billion approved for development expenditures in 2025 will actually be achieved by the end of the year.
Contrasting this with the D18.2 billion actually spent on recurrent expenditures in 2024, it can be seen that Parliament approved D17.5 billion to be spent on recurrent expenditures that year. With D22.3 billion approved for recurrent expenditures in 2025 and D25.7 billion included in the Cabinet proposal for 2026, this follows a more realistic trend as opposed to development expenditures.
The government’s spending pattern indicates that they are spending much more on recurrent expenditures than on development expenditures, driven by salary increases last year. This will affect the government’s ability to achieve its National Development Plan targets. In addition, significant disparities between actuals and approved estimates undermine the credibility of the budget and demonstrate that the government is not prioritising development expenditure.
Recurrent vs Development Expenditures © MoFEA digitised by Askanwi
The Cabinet proposal, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, plans to spend D14.4 billion on project grants in 2026, with the biggest donor being the International Development Association (IDA) World Bank (D8.6 billion). Unfortunately, grants don’t appear to be arriving, with only D82.5 million received in 2024 when Parliament approved over D9 billion in grants that year.
This is another indication of the disconnect between the approved budget and the actual expenditures at the end of the budget cycle.
Turning our attention to the Cabinet’s 2026 Budget Appropriation reveals that the government plans to spend D13.4 billion on the National Debt Service for 2026, which takes a huge chunk of the D43.4 billion estimated for the entire 2026 Budget Appropriation.
The Cabinet’s second highest allocation is D5.9 billion for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, followed by D3.1 billion for the Ministry of Health.
Surprisingly, the Office of the Vice President, which was previously under the Office of the President’s budget line, has now been separated and allocated D370 million. Meanwhile, the Office of the President has been allocated D740 million, which will bring the two budget lines to over D1 billion.
