By Sirrah Touray
In a pointed and data-driven intervention during the 2026 budget debate, Lamin Ceesay, National Assembly Member for Kiang West, delivered a critique of the government’s fiscal priorities, shining a spotlight on loan‑financed projects, the low share of development spending in social sectors and the lack of visible results for citizens.
Ceesay began by urging ministries to engage in meaningful bilateral discussions with the Ministry of Finance, ensuring that budget submissions align with national strategic plans and development ceilings. “This budget must reflect more than numbers; it must reflect the needs of our people,” he declared, calling on parliament to return budgets that fail to address core mandates such as health, education, gender equality and the welfare of persons with disabilities.
He offered a stark breakdown of key social‑sector allocations. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has been allotted D6 billion (14 % of the total budget), yet only D1.6 billion is for development, the remaining D4.5 billion is for recurrent expenditure. The Ministry of Health faces a similar imbalance of D1.5 billion total allocation, of which only D435 million is directed at development, leaving D1.4 billion for ongoing costs. Even smaller ministries are affected. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare’s total allocation of D116 million includes just D18 million for development. “These figures tell us what we truly prioritise,” Ceesay remarked.
Equally troubling for him was the growing reliance on loans rather than grants. “Loans may build us roads,” he said, “but what use is a road if it leads to a dilapidated school or an unequipped hospital?” He traced recent loan‑funded allocations: D600 million in 2022 for health infrastructure, D700 million in 2023 for Covid‑19 and HIV/AIDS programmes, D850 million in 2024 for hospital upgrades, and D900 million in 2025 for primary healthcare and vaccination rollout. In agriculture, D100 million in 2022 for modernisation, D1.4 billion in 2024 for livestock development, and D1.5 billion in 2025 for agro‑processing and market access. Yet he asked: “What is the impact? Have we measured outcomes?”
He warned that as grants shrink and loans rise, oversight weakens. “A grant comes with conditions and accountability loans almost do not.” He highlighted that the current budget shows reduced grants and increased loans, shifting burden and risk onto citizens.
