AskanwiGambia

💸Chief Justice’s Allowances Exceed Salary as Questions Mount Over Auditor General’s Pay

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. Instead of separately identifying the allowances payable to the Auditor General, the 2027 Draft Budget provides a lump sum of D118.4 million for the National Audit Office, making it difficult to determine how much of this amount is allocated to the Auditor General.

To ensure citizens can clearly understand how much government officials are actually paid, an additional column showing 2025 actual payments should be included alongside the 2026 figures.

Until the National Assembly demands that the Personnel Management Office provides this information, citizens will continue to struggle to determine the actual salaries and allowances paid to top government officials. The current Manpower Budget largely provides estimated and approved figures, which do not necessarily show what was actually paid.

Questions Around the Auditor General’s Salary

The Auditor General’s salary raises an even more significant concern.

Last year, Parliament approved the 2026 Budget, which set the Auditor General’s annual salary at D706,250. However, the 2027 Draft Budget lists the salary at D2.112 million per year, equivalent to approximately D175,425 per month.

If accurate, this would make the Auditor General the second-highest-paid government official, below only the President.

Given the Government’s established hierarchy and historical salary records, Askanwi believes the Auditor General’s salary in the 2027 Draft Budget requires further clarification.

Our first concern is the significant difference between the 2026 Approved Budget and the 2027 Draft Budget.

The Personnel Management Office and the Auditor General’s Office should clarify why the Auditor General’s approved annual salary of D706,250 in 2026 has been replaced by D2.112 million in the 2027 Draft Budget. This makes it difficult to ascertain which figure should be used.

Secondly, Parliament should seek clarification on whether the Auditor General’s monthly salary has actually increased from approximately D58,854 in 2026 to D175,425 in 2027—an increase of almost three times in just one year.

Auditor General Supreme Court Case

The timing of this issue is particularly significant.

A month before the Government tabled the 2026 Draft Budget in Parliament on 31 October 2025, President Adama Barrow appointed Mr Modou Sowe as the new Auditor General, following the removal of his predecessor, an action that was subsequently challenged as unconstitutional.

It is important to note that the 2026 Budget was approved before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the Auditor General’s case.

According to the Supreme Court judgment issued in July 2026, the Government is required to pay the former Auditor General, Ceesay, his remuneration for the remainder of his tenure, in addition to D4 million in compensation.

This raises an important question: Are the salaries of both the current and former Auditor General being accounted for in the Manpower Budget, or is only one Auditor General reflected?

The 2027 Draft Budget appears to indicate that only one Auditor General is being paid. However, this may not tell the full story given the Supreme Court judgment and the Government’s outstanding obligations to the former Auditor General.

In addition, the 2027 Draft Budget contains an expenditure line for Arbitration and Court Awards, which appears to provide a more appropriate budget line for accounting for the former Auditor General’s outstanding remuneration and the D4 million compensation ordered by the Supreme Court.

Parliament should therefore interrogate the Auditor General’s salary in the 2027 Draft Budget and seek clarity on how the Government intends to meet its financial obligations to the former Auditor General, including his outstanding remuneration and the D4 million compensation awarded by the Supreme Court.

#Askanwi #SalaryAllowances #ChiefJustice #AuditorGeneral #2027DraftBudget

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4 days ago | [YT] | 6

AskanwiGambia

💸⤴️ Top Officials Salary Race Continues with Chief Justice and Auditor General Salary Increases

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.

It is important to note that there are discrepancies in the Auditor General’s reported 2026 salary figures, which we will examine in a subsequent publication.

At the lower end of the salary scale, the Government’s latest 2026 Q1 Government Labour Force Survey (GLFS) reports that public-sector employees earned mean monthly earnings of D15,095.

This means the Chief Justice’s proposed basic monthly salary would be equivalent to the combined monthly earnings of approximately 6.6 average public-sector employees.

Beyond basic salaries, top government officials also receive allowances. However, details of these allowances remain difficult to establish due to the limited information provided in the budget.

We will examine the allowances, as well as the gaps in the available information, in a subsequent publication.

But why are these increases being proposed in the 2027 Draft Budget?

Looking back at our 2026 publication on salary increases for National Assembly members provides some insight into how the salary race among top government officials has intensified over the years.

In 2025, Parliamentarians received salary increases through the 2026 Draft Budget, pushing the salaries of the Majority and Minority Leaders above that of the Auditor General. The Majority Leader’s 2026 basic salary increase also placed the position above the Chief Justice.

This year’s proposed increase would place the Chief Justice’s basic salary above that of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Our subsequent publication will examine the Chief Justice’s allowances, the Auditor General’s 198% salary increase, and the lack of clear information on the actual salaries and allowances paid in the 2027 Draft Budget.

#Askanwi #SalaryIncreases #ChiefJustice #AuditorGeneral #2027DraftBudget

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4 days ago | [YT] | 1

AskanwiGambia

💳 The Price of Being a Citizen: Is Ecobank Capitalising on the National ID Card Process?

In this second publication on the “The Price of Being a Citizen” investigation, Askanwi reveals that the cost of paying for a National Identification Card is more than the government’s announced D450. Askanwi takes Ecobank to task about their practice of urging applicants to pay via the Ecobank Mobile Application and denying them the chance of paying over the counter at their Senegambia branch.

Given our revelations on the additional charges, Askanwi queries Ecobank if they are capitalising on the National ID Card process.

#Askanwi #Investigation #Ecobank #GambiaImmigrationDepartment #NationalIDCard

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1 week ago | [YT] | 0

AskanwiGambia

💳 The Price of Being a Citizen: Capitalizing on the National ID Card Application Process

A National ID Card may officially cost D450, and its application forms may officially be free; however, our investigation has revealed that the cost of paying for a National ID Card was actually more than announced.

According to the Gambia Immigration Department (GID), applicants who paid for their National ID Cards and enrolled at their offices should be able to acquire one within 10 minutes; however, our reporters have had to endure two weeks of constant follow-ups before one of them could acquire their ID Card.

More in this investigation.

#Askanwi #Investigation #Ecobank #GambiaImmigrationDepartment #NationaIDCard

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1 week ago | [YT] | 0

AskanwiGambia

💸 Almost D380 Million Short? Finance Minister Under-reports Domestic Debt Interest

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.

Askanwi Media’s financial inquiry also revealed that the Finance Minister over-reported the external debt interest payments by D178 million in the same time period.

#Askanwi #BusinessEconomy #Debt #Parliament #BudgetReporting

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

AskanwiGambia

💸 External Debt Interest Over Reported by D178 Million and Domestic Debt Interest Under Reported by D376 Million

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.

According to the Public Debt Bulletins, the government paid approximately D2.88 billion in domestic debt interest during the first six months of 2026.

This is approximately D376 million higher than the D2.504 billion reported by the Finance Minister.

Finance Minister Hon. Seedy S. Keita told Parliament on 21st September 2026 that the government spent D3.1 billion on external and domestic debt interest payments between January and June 2026.

However, Askanwi Media’s review of the Q1 and Q2 2026 Public Debt Bulletins shows total debt interest payments of approximately D3.301 billion during the same period, which is nearly D198 million more than the figure presented to Parliament.

More in this feature budget report.

#Askanwi #BusinessEconomy #Debt #MoFEA

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

AskanwiGambia

🤝🏿 Team Gambia Grand Coalition Pledges Constitutional Reform and Poverty Eradication

By Michaella Faith Wright

The Team Gambia Grand Coalition 2026 has pledged to pursue constitutional reform, tackle poverty and strengthen citizen participation in governance under its theme, “Handing Gambia Back to the People.”

Speaking at the coalition’s press conference, coordinator Sidia Jatta described the formation as a new approach to political cooperation, bringing together political parties, movements, civil society organisations and other groups around a common agenda.

Jatta said the coalition’s priorities include introducing presidential term limits and reforming the electoral system. He said the coalition would seek to implement constitutional reforms within 18 months of assuming office.

“Football should be more about the team,” Jatta said, underscoring the importance of unity, shared commitment and collective responsibility.

“A football team’s fundamental objective is to win. But it is not only about winning; in the process of achieving that victory, everybody must be engaged and play their part,” he added.

Jatta said the coalition would differ from previous political formations by seeking broader participation from citizens, particularly women, young people, workers and farmers.

Meanwhile, Halifa Sallah, another coordinator of the coalition, said its vision was rooted in cooperation and citizen-centred governance.

“We know that together we will survive. Without each other, we will perish,” Sallah said.

He said the coalition would begin a broader engagement process from October 2 to 16, after which it would undertake a process to determine its presidential flag bearer.

Sallah said the coalition’s broader objective was to “build the values of sovereign citizenship and heal Gambia.”

#Askanwi #TeamGambia #December2026Elections #PresidentialElections

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

AskanwiGambia

💸 Legacy Domestic Debt Accounts for About 19% of Domestic Debt Stock

The Minister’s disclosure comes against the backdrop of the government’s overall debt position.

According to the Q2 2026 Public Debt Bulletin, The Gambia’s total public debt stood at D141.41 billion, equivalent to a debt-to-GDP ratio of 68.98%.

Of this amount, D88.50 billion was external debt, while D52.91 billion constituted domestic debt.

If Minister Keita’s figure of approximately D10 billion in legacy domestic debt is used, that amount represents roughly 7% of the country’s total public debt and approximately 19% of the total domestic debt stock.

On that basis, approximately D42.91 billion, or 81% of the domestic debt stock, would consist of debt accumulated outside the legacy portfolio identified by the Minister.

More in our budget report.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

AskanwiGambia

💸 Finance Minister Reveals Budget Deficit of D68.86 Million in Mid 2026 Budget Report

Presenting his statement to the National Assembly on 21st September 2026, Minister Keita reported that the government raised D15.35 billion in total revenue, excluding project grants, during the first six months of the year. Government expenditure, meanwhile, stood at D15.42 billion, resulting in a budget deficit of D68.86 million.

More significantly, the Finance Minister said that “the gross deficit of GMD68.86 million was significantly driven by the fiscal pressures emanating from domestic debt service.”

Read more in this report.

#Askanwi #BusinessEconomy #Finance #Parliament #BudgetReport

www.askanwi.com/feature-publications/finance-minis…

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

AskanwiGambia

💸 Finance Minister: D10 Billion Domestic Debt is Legacy Debt from Previous Regime

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.

#Askanwi #BusinessEconomy #Finance #Parliament

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4