By Fatou Dahaba
The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly has been briefed on significant irregularities in the 2025 Government Accounts, as auditors flagged unauthorized expenditures, uncollected revenues, and serious weaknesses in loan oversight.
Presenting the accounts, the Accountant General’s Department faced sharp scrutiny over a management letter that detailed multiple breaches of financial regulations. Among the most glaring issues was D62,556,584 in unbudgeted spending under departmental self-procurement in the fisheries and geology sectors. According to auditors, the expenditure lacked ministerial approval and was not included in the Appropriation Bill, violating the Public Finance Act. They have urged authorities to secure retrospective approval or investigate cases where documentation cannot be produced.
The audit also criticized the Losses Advisory Committee for failing to convene even once during 2025, despite a mandatory quarterly requirement under the Finance Regulations. This lapse has left outstanding loss cases unaddressed, prompting calls for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to ensure regular meetings and proper record-keeping.
In the fisheries sector, long-standing compliance failures were highlighted. Section 35(1) of the Fisheries Act 2007 remains unimplemented, with many artisanal fishing vessels operating without licenses. Revenue collection was equally poor: 11 fish processing factories owe D25,000 each in annual licensing fees, totaling D325,000 in arrears, while three fishmeal factories have outstanding payments of D2 million each, amounting to D6 million. Auditors recommended immediate recovery of these funds with verifiable evidence.
Debt management also came under fire. A payment of D112,741,417 to the Islamic Development Bank was misclassified, with D63,948,824 recorded as principal repayment instead of interest. The correct principal portion should have been D48,792,593. Additionally, the 2025 budget lacked the required gap analysis recommended under the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment, raising concerns about inefficient spending and potential breaches of fiscal conditions.
Contractual obligations were not fully met in the supply of 180 tractors and accessories, with only D28 million of a D54 million advance paid, leaving D26 million outstanding. The Gambia Immigration Department also failed to deduct D5,700,000 in withholding tax.
On government lending, a D582,320,000 loan issued without prior credit risk assessment drew particular concern. Auditors noted weak monitoring of such loans, delayed repayments by state-owned enterprises, and unacknowledged confirmation requests sent to verify balances.
The revelations have intensified calls for stronger accountability and stricter adherence to public finance laws as lawmakers push for corrective action.
