The Gambian Economist and the former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs, Mamour Malick Jagne, has described certain government allocations in the 2019 budget as unnecessary, exorbitant and not priority.
The career civil servant made this observation in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a two day training of civil society organisations and media on the 2019 Draft Budget, organised by the International Republican Institute (IRI),
It could be recalled that last week the National Assembly has approved the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure of the country for the coming fiscal year 2019 with amendments after days of intensive scrutiny. This came following the Finance Minister’s presentation of the said estimates in the tune of D25.28 billion.
“From the point of view of certain allocations I am not happy because there are certain allocations that I consider unnecessary, exorbitant and not priority for example defense is over six hundred million dalasi, whom are we defending ourselves against,” the season economist rhetorically asked?
He said that the Gambia is blessed with a natural defense which he said is Senegal, arguing that such an allocation could better be utilized to beef up the Internal Security thus empowering the police who are responsible for interior safety measures.
Jagne disclosed that from 1965 up to 1981; The Gambia didn’t have an army, arguing that the army have to be reviewed, it’s seize and level of professionalism also should be watched.
He questioned how the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is given more money than the Ministry of Health, observing that agriculture, tourism and fishery which are serving the trade and industry are totally neglected.
While expressing his worries over how The Gambia government will be spending its D25.28 billion over the course 2019 fiscal year, the season economist said, the over six hundred million dalasi allocated to the office of the president is unnecessary and misplaced priority.
“What I am worried about is how the money is going to be spent because spending six hundred million for defense and six hundred million for the office of the president is not a judicious spending.
Why paying six advisers of the president for two million dalasi and not spending much funding for things that will make us more independent and stronger,” the former finance permanent secretary expressed his worries.
He disclosed that The Gambia government must shift its expenditures from purely cosmetic to expenditures that are in the real economy. He said such expenditures spent on the presidential advisers could be better utilized to provide subsidies to small enterprises so that they can grow and continue to pay taxes.
Jagne who once worked at the Senegambia Confederation has further argued that, if significant portion of this 2019 budget is earmarked for consumption such as buying vehicles, office equipments, fuel among others will not go well, noting that the budget can only be meaningful if it is spent on productive sector of the economy.
He said this will involved spending the budget on agriculture, tourism, fishery and other services that will generate returns for the country.
“This budget can only benefit Gambians if it is going directly to the productive sector of the economy. This will generate growth and employment, however, if it is going to consumption only, the situation of Gambians will become worst and it will have implications on the balance of payment of our economy,” the season economist has observed.
Dilating on recent proposed salary increment for public servant by 50% and pensioners by 100%, Jagne said it’s not about salary increment but maintaining small motivated, efficient and highly paid civil servants.
“I think what we need is a small efficient and highly paid and motivated civil servants because low paid civil servants are bad for the country and for the economy,” he argued.
According to him, The Gambia government needs to critically looked at the number of civil servants because by blindly spending huge sums of money on unmitigated civil servants will not be a solution to the woes of the country, adding that if such increment of salaries of the civil servants will bring quality out of their work then it will be a good move.
“Since independent, The Gambia has been relying on 47% external debt and grant to balance the economy and to me this is not sustainability,” the former permanent secretary finance disclosed.
However, he said that there are prospect for growth of The Gambia’s economy, noting that more tourists are arriving for winter holidays, increases in the number of hotels been built as well as the booming construction industry, are all signs of economic growth.
He then said that the government must introduce stringent measures to control its spending in a bit to meeting the sustainable development goals and continue to create employment opportunities for the youths.
“The advice I would give to the government of The Gambia is to revolutionize agriculture so that we can move away from old methods of production to new methods of producing,” Jagne advises The Gambia government.
Author: Kebba Ansu Manneh