The National Assembly on Thursday briefed journalists on the agenda and procedural roadmap for the combined Third and Fourth Ordinary Sessions of the 2026 legislative year, scheduled from Monday, 7 September to Thursday, 29 October.
Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta presided over the briefing. Officials said the joint sittings would focus on three core parliamentary duties: rigorous oversight, continuing legal reforms, and scrutiny of the 2027 national budget.
Jatta said the Assembly would work through the final stages of several bills, including the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Bill 2026, the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2025, and the Intellectual Property Bill 2025, as well as other measures intended to strengthen key sectors of the economy and the governance framework.
“A major highlight of these sessions will be the presentation, scrutiny, and approval of the national budget,” he said.
On Friday, 25 September, the Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs is due to lay the 2027 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, opening formal consideration of next year’s budget.
Members will also consider motions to ratify international instruments, including those relating to the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation, to reinforce The Gambia’s legal and international cooperation frameworks.
Deputy Clerk Buba M. E. Jatta said the sessions would begin with an oral ministerial statement from the Finance Minister on implementation and monitoring of the current annual budget, giving members an update on fiscal performance.
He reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to transparency, procedural integrity and the rule of law. He said the Office of the Clerk would again make Order Papers, committee reports and procedural clarifications available to the press in a timely and structured manner.
The briefing forms part of the National Assembly’s effort to deepen media engagement and give the public timely access to information on parliamentary business before the Third and Fourth Ordinary Sessions open next week.
