Budget Update Delayed as Finance Minister Seeks Last-Minute Travel Approval

Finance Minister Hon. Seedy Keita © Askanwi

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

The Gambia’s Finance Minister, Hon. Seedy S. Keita’s last-minute request to postpone his scheduled parliamentary budget update has been approved by Parliament, allowing him to travel out of the country instead of reporting to Parliament yesterday, 2nd March 2026.

Speaking to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Kalipha MM Mbye, he informed Askanwi that technicians from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs had been in touch and were preparing to present the latest budget implementation report as scheduled on 2nd March 2026. However, a last-minute request came late in the week, around Friday 27th February 2026.

According to the Clerk, the finance minister had to travel out of the country.

The finance minister’s request came after a parliamentary press conference held on Thursday, 26th February 2026. This meant that the request was approved with just one working day’s notice, as the Finance Minister was scheduled to present the following Monday. We have now been reliably informed that the Finance Minister will table his budget implementation report before Parliament next week, at Parliament’s discretion.

Clerk of the National Assembly Mr Kalipha MM Mbye on the near right © Askanwi

At the parliamentary press conference, an Askanwi reporter queried the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, about the finance minister’s repeated failure to table budget updates and the budget on time. Referencing the Supreme Court’s ruling against the finance minister’s late tabling of the 2025 Budget, our reporter asked whether Parliament would ensure that the Minister complies with future parliamentary appearances.

In response, Speaker Jatta explained that a Private Member’s Bill had increased the time allocated to scrutinise the Budget from 30 days to 60 days; however, this caused some problems for the Executive. The Bill was championed by Hon. Alhagie Mbowe of Upper Saloum, who is the Vice Chair of Parliament’s Finance and Public Accounts Standing Committee. Hon. Mbowe is a member of the National Reconciliation Party and aligned with the Majority Caucus controlled by the Executive’s National People’s Party.

Explaining further, Speaker Jatta, who leads the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction Party, noted that the Executive (Finance Minister Keita in particular) had some engagements with international partners which caused delays. However, he believes “it’s not for Parliament to decide if the Minister does not bring the Bill or the budget estimates what should happen to the budget — that Parliament should not consider it. No. There’s no law that talks about this. For us, when it comes, it should come.”

On the other hand, he noted that “citizens can challenge it. Is it right or wrong? That judgement we have all seen. So, we are now pushing very hard to ensure that we are on top of issues, that the Minister of Finance is able to give us updates on the implementation of the budget. As we go quarterly, he should be able to go to Parliament to tell us what has happened and the challenges, etc.”

“But we should also understand that there are sometimes technical problems, administrative problems that you cannot do much about, but we are hopeful that we will improve on those issues,” noted the Speaker of the Sixth Legislature, who was nominated by the President alongside four other members. Speaker Jatta’s party is in a coalition with the ruling party and the leaders of the Majority Caucus, the National People’s Party.

Speaker of The National Assembly Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta near left © Askanwi

In response, our reporter questioned whether there would be any accountability if the Finance Minister fails to table the constitutionally mandated updates.

Speaker Jatta explained that “we take people to task. Accountability on the part of Parliament — yes, there will be. I wish you were sometimes in Parliament yourself. I wish you were sometimes at the various committee stages of Parliament. It’s sometimes very tough. But we are dealing with human beings also.”

“For me, what I believe is that we should all ensure that we go according to the law. But I also believe these are man-made laws. They are not the Quran or the Bible. In the operation of the law, you may come across certain things that are not foreseen.”

“So, as human beings, we must look at it because the essence is how best you can serve the people — how best you can provide the relevant services to the people of The Gambia.”