Africa-Press – Gambia. Finance Minister Seedy Keita tabled the 2026 budget estimates on Friday informing lawmakers that D10.29 billion will be spent on wages, salaries and promotions.
Keita disclosed that total expenditure and net lending for the draft 2026 budget is projected to increase to D36.49 billion and key allocations include a 16.36 percent rise in personnel emoluments to D10.29 billion covering housing allowances, promotions and an expanded workforce, a 24 percent increase in subsidies and transfers to D8 billion, primarily for energy, infrastructure and subventions to health and education sectors.
He said this proposed expenditure also includes provisions for election related expenditures and ongoing infrastructure projects.
Minister Keita further disclosed that debt services continue to attract a large portion of the expenditure budget amounting to D13.5 billion in 2026 from D11.7 billion in 2025. He said the combined allocation to human capital related expenditure sectors of education, health and agriculture amounted to D10.82 billion with agriculture attracting D1.77 billion, the largest allocation in the last ten years.
He said total revenue and grants is projected at D35.87 billion and this is driven by 28 percent growth in tax revenue to be achieved through tax compliance, e-invoicing, new IT-enabled rental income tax system and introduction of revenue assurance for telecom and fintech.
The minister also stated that growth is projected to stabilise at a sustainable 5.5 percent in 2026 underpinned by investments in infrastructure, recovery in tourism and stable performances in trade and finance.
He said the government in its bid to address the debt service burden and other challenges, will adhere to a “concessional borrowing plan, strengthen expenditure controls and rationalise subvented” agencies.
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