By: Nyima Sillah
The NAM for Latrikunda Sabiji, Yaya “Menteng” Sanyang has said there is “so” much incompetence and institutional challenges in Adama Barrow’s administration which has contributed to government’s failures to keep promises made to civil servants in two consecutive times.
“The plan is not sustainable under the present economic mismanagement by this administration. They failed to consider the long-term implications of increasing allowances, ensuring it is financially sustainable without creating future budget pressures,” NAM Sanyang told The Voice in an interview following the government’s recent cancellation of the proposed civil servants allowance increment.
He pointed out that the allowance increment for civil servants was not planned and captured in the budget, adding that the government operates with a limited budget, and if not planned and captured in the budget it would require allocating funds from other areas potentially impacting essential services or infrastructure projects.
“If you also look at our debt portfolio, it is in billions and this will limit our ability to increase spending without raising concerns about fiscal sustainability. This government is presiding over a very bad budget which is largely based on taxation and they lack the knowledge and wisdom to be creative to improve budget performance,” he stated.
The LK NAM stressed that there are a lot of competing priorities and the government must balance the needs of civil servants with other priorities, such as poverty reduction, healthcare, and education, arguing that the Gambia civil servants are the poorest in the world and every day getting poorer because all the previous government failed to raise the living standards of civil servants.
“This is the second time that the Barrow administration promised civil servants a pay rise and backtracked such promises at a time when civil servants are expecting to receive such increments. Civil service is dying under the Barrow administration due to lack of motivation and encouragement,” NAM Sanyang asserted.
He explained that the government should concentrate on moderating the inflation trend of the economy because under the recent trend of inflation, even if they exponentially increase the allowances of civil servants, it will be negated by rising prices.
The LK NAM further stated that the private sector wages are rising too quickly compared to the government sector, adding this is creating distortions in the labor market and incentivizing people to seek private sector jobs rather than government jobs.
“This is potentially impacting the overall economy and the government should look into it,” he suggested.