2024 Budget: National Assembly Members Engage in Three-Day Retreat for In-Depth Analysis
By Mariama Dem
Following the recent presentation of the 2024 budget estimates to The Gambia’s National Assembly, lawmakers have embarked on a comprehensive three-day retreat, beginning on Saturday, November 18th, 2023. The retreat aims to facilitate a thorough examination of the budget, providing legislators with a detailed understanding of its implications and enabling informed decision-making on resource allocation for the upcoming fiscal year.
The training, funded by the European Union and conducted in collaboration with the International IDEA, is a crucial step toward ensuring diligent decision-making by lawmakers concerning resource allocation for the upcoming fiscal year. Momodou A Sise, the Clerk of the National Assembly, highlighted the importance of aligning the budget estimates with government reform programs and policies, such as the medium-term expenditure analysis framework and program-based budgeting.
The workshop not only provides an opportunity for members to critically analyze the government’s proposed measures in the 2024 budget but also equips them with the necessary skills to monitor the implementation of social and livelihood programs, with a focus on the welfare of children, women, and vulnerable groups in the coming year. This, in turn, will strengthen the oversight role of the Assembly and its committees, contributing to the delivery of an expanded economy.
READ: Gambia Forecasts a 5% Surge in 2024 Total Revenue
Raphaël Brigandi, Political Officer, chargé d’affaires of the EU in The Gambia, emphasized the strategic significance of the budget as the ultimate tool for a state. He highlighted the instrumental role of elected members of Parliament in scrutinizing the budget, expressing the EU’s commitment as a close partner and friend to standing by the National Assembly in both easy and difficult times.
Mrs. Jainaba Faye, Head of Country Office, International IDEA, underscored the main goal of the estimate’s examination — to enhance the oversight function of the National Assembly and its committees on the National Budget, fostering an expanded economy that prioritizes creating greater national wealth and improving livelihoods. The three-day training program, supported by budget and public finance specialists, aims to empower National Assembly Members to judiciously review the draft estimates, ensuring they reflect the needs of the people and promote inclusive growth and development.