Gambians Urged to Lead Budgeting for Transparency and Accountability

Gambians have been urged to take a frontline role in national and local budgeting processes to strengthen transparency and accountability. The call was renewed during a two-day training held on 27–28 November 2025, organised by The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) with support from the UNDP GREAT Project. Delivering one of his presentation on public participation in budget processes, Mr. Lamin Dibba, Executive Director of the Center for Budget and Macroeconomic Transparency (CBMT), said traditional consultation methods are “no longer enough,” urging citizens to actively influence priority-setting, monitor public expenditure and demand institutional accountability. “Budgeting must be owned by the people,” he stressed.
A major highlight of the workshop was a presentation by Mr. John Charles Njie, Chairperson of the Access to Information Commission, who outlined the legal obligations of public bodies under the ATI Act. He said access to timely and accurate information is a fundamental pillar of transparency, noting that citizens cannot meaningfully participate in budgeting without clear, accessible and proactive disclosure from government institutions. Mr. Njie emphasized that the ATI Commission stands ready to support CSOs, media, and communities in demanding public information, including budget documents, audit reports and procurement data. The opening ceremony featured Ms. Amie Touray, TANGO’s Programme Manager for Research and M&E, who explained that the training forms part of a nationwide series supported by the UNDP and European Union, reaching regions such as North Bank and Lower River. She underscored the importance of strengthening grassroots understanding of governance and decentralization. Mr. Baboucarr Fadera served as moderator, welcoming participants from local councils, CSOs, CBOs and the media, and setting the tone for inclusive discussions on citizen engagement. Participants also reviewed insights from the 2026 Kanifing Municipal Council budget, which projects a surplus, with key allocations for infrastructure, vehicle procurement, community services and development programmes. Discussions highlighted persistent gaps in participation—especially for women, youth, and persons with disabilities—and stressed the need for more accessible and disability-friendly budget information. Key recommendations included establishing mandatory public hearings during budget formulation and auditing; making budget documents accessible in Braille, audio and local languages; improving communication skills within local government structures; leveraging SMS and mobile platforms for citizen feedback; and forming a multi-stakeholder Budget Monitoring Group to sustain oversight beyond the training. The workshop concluded with practical exercises on budget tracking and evidence-based advocacy, reaffirming the role of CSOs, CBOs and the media in strengthening public accountability. Organisers emphasized that inclusive budgeting is now a democratic necessity—and that Gambian citizens remain central partners in the country’s governance and development journey.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Retired Education Director Advocates Disability Inclusion in Policies Across Sectors

Image
Farafenni – Mr. Lamin Fatajo, retired director from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, delivered a compelling presentation emphasising the critical importance of disability inclusion in national policies and strategies. He highlighted that disability inclusion means intentionally integrating the needs and perspectives of persons with disabilities in policy design, implementation, and evaluation to ensure equitable access to education, employment, healthcare, and civic participation. Mr. Fatajo's mde these remarks while presenting a paper on Disability Inclusion in Policies and Strategies during a multi stakeholders forum on the inclusion of persons with disabilities into policies held at the Wallimann Hotel in Farafenni, North Bank Region, from 21 to 22 August 2025. Mr. Fatajo outlined three key models of disability, namely - The Charity Model, criticized for promoting dependency; The Medical Model, which overlooks social barriers; and The Social Model, advocating ba...
Read more

VDF gave additional 3,689 Bags of Sugar, others to orgs, institutions, political parties, Christian Council, others

Image
div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Vision Development Foundation yesterday, Tuesday handed over 3,689 bags of sugar in 10 Kilos as part of their annual Ramadan Gifts donations to needy communities in The Gambia, conducted in an exemplary leadership style coordinated by Momodou Turo Darboe- VDF CEO, who is leading by example in supporting Muslims during Ramadan as required by Islam. Last Tuesday donation also included various political parties in The Gambia. Mr Saihou Fofana - VDF PRO among others said they invited politicians not because they are politicking, but because they know politicians also have followers that will need support during Ramadan. And they invited all the political parties to avoid discriminations. Communities and disabled people organisation, were among Tuesday's beneficiaries. Mr. Saihou Fofana, Vision Development Foundation (VDF) Communication Directors in his welcoming remarks highlighted the Foundation's annua...
Read more

CRS Trains Enumerators for Gender and Disability Audit in Inclusive Education Project

Image
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has begun training enumerators as part of its new project, “Disability Inclusive Pathways: Empowering Children with Disabilities Through Education, Technology and Play”. The training focuses on equipping data collectors to conduct a comprehensive Gender and Disability Audit and baseline survey in schools. CRS said the audit is a multidimensional, structured, and participatory assessment that measures how institutions address gender equality and disability inclusion in policies, programs, budgets, and practices. The exercise will help identify gaps, document good practices, and generate recommendations to improve inclusivity in The Gambia’s education system. The audit will assess issues such as gender-sensitive teaching methods, school infrastructure, physical accessibility, use of assistive devices, and attitudes toward people with disabilities. It will also examine challenges such as gender-based violence in schools, biases in classro...
Read more