Binta Jaiteh
National Reconciliation Party (NRP), National Assembly Member for Lower Saloum, Sainey Jawara described the 2024 budget as the ‘’worst’’ in the history of the country.
The member expressed dissatisfaction over the budget during the debate session it following its presentation by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Seedy Keita last week.
MP Jawara decried the way figures were passed on without proper scrutiny of the budget estimates. He said the process also was boring asserting that has never occurred in the history of the Gambia.
“Gambians will continue to struggle every day for the development of the country but there will be no change at the end of the struggle,” he stressed.
He observed that the concerned institutions were not present to witness the debate on the budget. ‘’I have served the parliament for two terms but I can vow that today’s session is the worst to be franked. During the past years ministers and institutions do follow parliamentary debate on the budget but today, this year am very disappointed.’’
He complained that no permanent secretary from the various ministries was present except that of the Ministry of Finance which had prepared the document and so had to attend.
“How can we develop as a country, when the people we put in office will be responsible for implementing the budget after it has been passed by the assembly and those institutions are absent?” he asked