The Gambia’s ambitious Bertil Harding Highway expansion project, aimed at easing congestion and modernizing the country’s transportation network, has hit a snag. Despite securing a $40 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in October 2024, Phase III of the project failed to commence by the end of 2024 as promised by Transport Minister Ebrima Sillah. This delay has sparked public frustration and raised questions about the government’s ability to deliver on its infrastructure commitments.

Audit reports are essential tools for financial accountability, yet recent remarks by President Adama Barrow and Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay have sparked debate over their credibility. While some officials dismiss them as mere “opinions,” audits follow rigorous international standards to assess financial integrity and compliance. This article clarifies the audit process, its significance, and why these reports matter in ensuring transparency and good governance.

A Who Owe Who? report published by ActionAid revealed that The Gambia is owed US$4.8 billion annually in climate debt from rich polluting countries compared to the US$39.7 billion it pays annually. More in this feature report.

The Minister for Public Service, Hon. Baboucarr Boye revealed that he saved D13.5 million monthly after temporarily stopping salary payments to ‘ghost workers’. According to Hon. Boye, his ministry has discovered 2,700 ‘ghost workers’ after 2,142 were uncovered from the Ministries of Health, Basic and Secondary Education, and Agriculture in 2024. More in this feature report.

Last week, a notice from the Gambia National Assembly’s Office of the Clerk addressed to Parliamentarians highlighted that finances for the 2024 Constituency Development Fund would not be disbursed. Our reporter managed to contact the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Clerk on the issue and also featured reactions from Parliamentarians on the cancellation. More in this feature report.

This publication reveals how Parliamentarians deducted over D740 million from the Draft 2025 Appropriation Bill and distributed the same amount on the Approved 2025 Appropriation Bill. Our calculations and research make use of Parliament’s report recommending cuts and additions. More in the report.

Information Minister Dr. Cessay claimed that the 2025 Budget allocates over D5 billion to help. Our reporter got hold of the 2025 Draft Budget to highlight that the Minister had it wrong and only D4.8 billion was allocated to Health in 2025. More in this report.

Our first feature publication on our series, The Budget is a Scam, highlights how the Gambia Government spends millions on fuel and lubricants, vehicles, and maintenance of vehicles as opposed to the amount it spends on firefighting, ambulances, rescue vehicles, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

More in this feature publication featuring inforgraphics by Askanwi Media.

On the same week of the 2025 Budget Speech, two of the highest-profile officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) have announced that the lowest wage (take home) of civil servants will increase to D6,000 for the lowest Grade 1.1 from January 2025.

Our FactCheckers went to work and sought additional confirmation from the Ministry Of Finance and Economic Affairs Gambia - MOFEA who confirmed our figures for this publication.

Four Gambian Civil Society Advocates have filed a lawsuit against the state in the Supreme Court against the Finance Minister’s alleged failure to table the 2025 budget as mandated by the amended 1997 Constitution today, 19th December 2024.