Business Economy
Business Economy News
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has concluded a two-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening efforts to combat electricity theft and protect critical electricity infrastructure in The Gambia.
More in the news story.
PayPal has expanded access to its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), to eligible users in 27 African markets, marking a significant step in the company's push to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and more accessible across the continent.
More in the publication.
The Government has officially signed an agreement transferring an 80% ownership stake in the state-owned mobile operator, GAMCEL, to YCell, alongside a D6.1 billion investment to modernise the company's network infrastructure and business operations.
Although the agreement was signed last week, the deal for the total amount pegged previously at D6.7 billion appears to have changed since the Communications Minister’s parliamentary submission in December 2025.
More in this news report.
The Gambia’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, 7th July 2026, that the forceful removal of Auditor General Modou Ceesay from office back in September 2025 was unconstitutional but stopped short of reinstating him back into office. The ruling also saw the former Auditor General awarded a compensation of D4 million, with his outstanding salary, allowances, pension, and gratuity to be paid to him until the end of his tenure.
More in the court report.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Seedy Muctarr Touray has acknowledged that the Gambia Police Force (GPF) lacks enough vehicles to respond swiftly to crimes at some police stations and posts, amid growing public concern over recent killings and police responses to criminal activities.
More in this detailed publication.
The Women’s Association for Women and Victims Empowerment (WAVE) launched its annual human rights festival at Makumbaya on 20th June 2026, with a day of panel discussions, cultural performances, face painting and a documentary screening.
At the opening session, the Executive Secretary of the Reparations Commission announced that the Commission has disbursed D20 million in reparations to victims and is in the process of distributing an additional D5 million this year.
More in this feature publication.
ActionAid The Gambia (AAITG) held an engagement forum with the National Assembly Select Committee on Trade on Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) on Friday, 22nd May 2026.
The forum, held at the National Assembly in Banjul, brought together key stakeholders to discuss the implications of BITs on trade, investment governance, national development, and public accountability in the Gambia.
More in the Parliamentary report.
Two finance directors for Gamcel and Gamtel have summoned a Gamcel staff member before the Gambia Police Force in Banjul to respond to allegations of defamation. The matter stems from disagreements over staff salary deductions which have allegedly not been paid.
Now the complainants are demanding that The Voice of Fanta interview featuring the Gamcel staff member be brought down or face defamation charges.
More in this report.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has sharply criticised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch following her remarks dismissing the idea that UK should not be financially accountable for the transatlantic slave trade.
More in this news report.
The National Food Security Corporation Bill 2025 is currently facing parliamentary review and was tabled in Parliament for consideration on 3rd March 2026.
The bill proposes the establishment of the National Food Security Corporation, commencing with a value of D1 billion, which was doubled after a member’s recommendation.
More in this parliamentary report.
The trial over the murder of Bureau de Change staff member Fatoumatta Kargbo took a decisive turn on Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, when the High Court in Banjul admitted the post-mortem report into evidence, overruling strong objections from the defence.
Suspect Harouna Tine could face the death penalty or life in prison if found guilty of stabbing Karbo to death in a killing that has left the nation in shock.
More in the court report.
Budget Reporting
Feature Publications
After Askanwi published an article questioning the Auditor General’s salary in the 2027 Draft Budget, we received the following clarification from the National Audit Office (NAO).
Read their response and editor's notes in the publication.
Allowances can sometimes exceed basic salaries, as appears to be the case with the Chief Justice in the 2027 Draft Budget. According to the 2027 Draft Budget, the Chief Justice’s allowances total D1.4 million, exceeding his D1.2 million basic salary. The Auditor General’s allowances, however, are much more difficult to ascertain.
More in this budget report.
The race for salary increases among the highest-earning government officials continues in 2027, with the Chief Justice and Auditor General set for significant increases. According to the 2027 Draft Budget, the Chief Justice’s salary is set to increase by 27.4%, from D941,850 in 2026 to D1.2 million in 2027. Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s salary is projected to increase from D706,250 in 2026 to D2.1 million in 2027 — a staggering 198% increase.
More in this budget report.
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.
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.
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.
The Gambia Telecommunications Cellular Company Limited (GAMCEL)'s financial difficulties have emerged as a key reason the state-owned telecommunications operator was excluded from the first phase of the country’s migration from seven-digit to nine-digit telephone numbers, despite initial explanations that the delay was primarily due to “timing and technical readiness”.
More in this feature report.
The Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) had projected a 5% medium-term inflation target at the end of 2025; however, by January 2026, headline inflation had only declined to 6.4%, down from 6.6% in December 2025. Our reporter questioned the Central Bank Governor Buah Saidy about the missed 5% medium-term inflation target at the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) press briefing held on 20th August 2026.
More in this feature report.
The Gambia’s First Lady, Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, has made headlines this week following allegations and counterclaims that she attempted to prevent Ebrima Dibba of the UNITE Party from boarding the same ferry on Sunday, 9th August 2026. However, one claim she made days after the alleged clash was that her office does not receive any salaries or budgetary allocations.
This FactCheck aims to verify if the First Lady’s claims are true or false.
The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has released a brief explanation of donor funding received after a request for information from Askanwi Media during an interview with the NAWEC PRO, Mr Buba Badjie, on 10th June 2026. After Askanwi Media followed up after the interview, the NAWEC PRO issued this response today: 23rd June 2026 to Askanwi Media, which is being reproduced below as received.
More in this exclusive publication.
As Gambians continue to endure prolonged power outages, questions continue to mount over the National Water and Electricity Company’s (NAWEC) promise to restore stable electricity supply by mid-June, after publishing a load-shedding roster that extends to the end of June 2026.
NAWEC Public Relations Officer Mr Buba Badjie held an exclusive interview with Askanwi Media on 10th June, responding to the public’s concerns, just five days before the deadline.
More in this exclusive report.
The Gambia’s finance minister, Hon. Seedy Keita, informed Parliament that the government under-collected by over D3.3 billion in non-tax revenue in 2025, representing over 42% of the overall non-tax revenue target. Our data-driven feature publication analyses the total revenue collected during President Adama Barrow’s nine years in office.
More in this budget update.
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Videos
MoTIE Outlines Plans to Participate in AfCFTA Second Pilot Phase
The Ministry of Trade outlined the Government’s plans to participate in the second phase of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement during a workshop with stakeholders on 3rd September 2024.
FactCheck: Have Taxes Increased Under GRA in 2024?
GRA Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe claimed that his office did not observe any tax increments for the year 2024. Our reporter investigated his claims to verify if they were true or not.
Economic Deep Dive by Dr Ousman Gajigo
Two years ago, Adama Barrow's government signed the so-called Senegambia Asset Recycling deal with Africa50. It was presented as an opportunity when, in reality, it was a massive financial and strategic loss to the country.
More in this opinion peice.
In this publication, economist Dr. Ousman Gajigo highlights discrepancies observed in the Central Bank of the Gambia’s latest Monetary Policy Committee press briefing issued in August 2026. According to Dr. Gajigo, the government’s addiction to domestic debt continues to overcrowd the private sector while contradicting the Central Bank's claim that credit to the private sector increased by 41% within a year.
More in this latest Economic Deep Dive.
While attending classes is essential for education, it is not sufficient. Students need to properly learn the subject matter, particularly in core subjects such as mathematics, science, and language. Without adequate levels of proficiency, mere school attendance does not mean much.
More in this opinion piece
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Seedy Keita, recently appeared in the media, where he tried to spin a narrative at odds with reality regarding The Gambia's public debt. But it is hard to spin reality about the size and structure of a subject such as public debt when so much is well documented.
More in this opinion piece.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment recently announced an agreement it signed with Pakistan for the supply of rice and other agricultural products. This announcement was presented as an achievement. In reality, it is a major sign of failure. It takes a certain level of incompetence to mistake failure for achievement.
More in this opinion peice.
As Tobaski approaches, almost everyone is bemoaning the high cost of rams. The past week has also seen some of the worst electricity blackouts the country has experienced. In my neighbourhood of Brusubi alone, we endured over 10 hours of outages in a single 24-hour period. These two phenomena – both of which are deeply affecting the average Gambian – are more closely related than they might appear.
More in this opinion piece.
Eventually, Adama Barrow broke his silence over Seedy Njie's despicable words and behaviour. But it would probably have been better to remain quiet and let people speculate about his state of mind than to make a statement that dispels all doubt about his leadership qualities. It is now absolutely clear that Adama Barrow is not a national leader in the true sense of the word.
More in this opinion piece.
The Minister of Fisheries, Musa Drammeh, was quoted in the press attributing high fish prices to fuel costs. He also claimed that the lack of a fish landing port in Banjul contributes to high prices and pointed to the absence of cold storage and fish processing facilities as additional factors. In doing so, Minister Drammeh is merely confirming what should have long been obvious to anyone paying attention: he is an unserious minister who does not care about the welfare of Gambians and is instead weaving a demonstrably false narrative.
More in this in-depth look at the rising cost of fish.
The Gambia Reparations Commission wishes to inform the victim community and the general public about the current status of USD 2,507,911.73 (Two Million, Five Hundred and Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eleven US dollars and Seventy-Three Cents) recovered from the forfeiture and sale of former President Yahya Jammeh’s Potomac property in the United States of America.
More in the press release.