How President Barrow Overspent D173 Million on the Meet the People’s Tour

President Adama Barrow at Meet the People’s Tour © State House of The Gambia.

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

This week marks the start of President Adama Barrow’s eighth Meet the People’s Tour, mandated by the 1997 Constitution. Our budget analysis reveals that, over the years, President Barrow has spent more than D246 million on the tour, despite Parliament only approving D72 million for the same period. This means President Barrow overspent by D173 million — an increase of approximately 340%.

Meet the People’s Tour Expenditures Approved and Actuals © Askanwi after data from MoFEA

Meet the People’s Tour (000’s of Dalasis)

Our reporter observed that the figures reported by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) appear to be incomplete for 2017 and 2018, which indicate that nothing was spent on the Meet the People’s Tour during the President’s early years in office. However, our investigation confirms that President Barrow embarked on a Meet the People’s Tour in July 2018. This suggests that funds were indeed spent on the constitutionally mandated tour in 2018, although this expenditure was not reflected in the budget. Unfortunately, our research could not determine whether a tour was conducted during the President’s first year in office in 2017.

Meet the People’s Tour Percentage Overspent © Askanwi after data from MoFEA

An examination of our chart showing the President’s spending patterns reveals that the Meet the People’s Tour has evolved into a “no-expense-spared” event. Except for 2017 and 2018, when no data was reported, President Barrow overspent by more than 171% each year from 2019 onwards. His largest overspend occurred in 2021, when he was seeking re-election — that year, the overspend reached a staggering 725%. The second-highest overspend occurred in 2023, at 614%.

Meet the People’s Tour Data compiled from MoFEA © Calculations after MoFEA

Such levels of overspending are shockingly brazen and suggest either significant virements are being made to accommodate the excess or that the President has imposed no limits on spending public funds. In any case, parliamentary budget approvals appear to have been completely disregarded by the President’s excessive Meet the People’s Tour expenditures.

The Minister of Finance would do well to reveal the Meet the People’s Tour expenditures for 2017 and 2018 and also explain which budget lines are being cut to fund the President’s overspending.