By Tabora Bojang
The government has spent D5,062.052 on salaries and remuneration in the first half of this year, representing an increase of 7 percent compared to what is recorded in the same period last year.
This figure also corresponds to 49 percent of the amount approved on personnel emoluments for the entire year of 2026 which is D10.291 billion.
According to Finance Minister Seedy Keita, who was presenting the budget execution rate from January to June 2026 at the National Assembly, the total revenue earned during this period excluding grants amounted to D15.35 billion, stemming mainly from an increase in tax receipts.
However, total expenditure and net lending increased to D15.42 billion leaving out a gross deficit of D68.86 million.
He said the main drivers of expenditure performance are personnel emoluments at D5,062.052, use of goods and services at D2,640.605, subsidies and transfers at D3,615.533 and capital expenditure at D1,000.351, while debt interest expenditure grew by 18 percent to reach D3.10 billion.
Keita said out of this amount, D599 million was paid on external debt interest while D2.5 billion was paid on domestic debt interest.
Breakdown of personnel emoluments
According to Minister Keita, the expenditure on personnel emoluments in the first half of 2026 are as follows: Office of the President- D99,797.35; Office of the Vice President -D5,936.04: National Assembly- D124,514.26; Judiciary D94.252.09: IEC- D33,569.19; Public Service Commission- D3,687.34; National Audit Office- D70,901.36; Ministry of Defence- D487,766.69; Ministry of Interior -D858,618.37; Ministry of Tourism- D4,120.74; Ministry of Foreign Affairs-D447,687.29; Ministry of Justice- D22,936.89; Ministry of Finance- D101,345.69; Office of the Ombudsman -D15,952.15; Centralised Services- D5,000; Ministry of Lands- D85,840.09; Ministry of Agriculture -D84,088.84; Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure -D11,539.68; Ministry of Trade -D11,699.55; Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education -D1,846,741.48; Ministry of Health- D481,287.54; Ministry of Youth and Sports- D8,195.44; Ministry of Environment- D40,752.93; Ministry of Information- D7,510.00; Ministry of Fisheries -D17,110.76; Ministry of Higher Education -D7,056.90; Ministry of Energy and Petroleum- D9,557.87; Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare -D14,833.83; National Human Rights Commission -D25,429.22; Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy- D7,243.08 and Ministry of Public Service D27,079.19.