Hon. Baboucarr Bouy, Minister of Public Service
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Gambia government’s commitment to enhancing transportation and residential allowances for civil servants faces hurdles due to budgetary constraints. Honorable Baboucarr Bouy, Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reform, Policy Coordination, and Delivery, addressed concerns on this issue during a recent National Assembly session.
The question was posed by Honorable Bakary Badjie, National Assembly member representing Foni Bintang Karanai. He sought an explanation from the minister as to why the promised allowance payments by the government were not implemented in January.
In response, Minister Bouy explained that during an emergency session focused on the 2024 draft estimates of revenue and expenditure, the Cabinet deliberated and approved a proposal. This proposal, put forth by the Honorable Minister of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination, and Delivery, aims to increase transport and residential allowances for public servants. Specifically, the proposal seeks to raise residential allowances from 1700 to 3000 and transport allowances from 1500 to 2500.
“As a ministry, we expected that upon the Cabinet’s approval of the proposal, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs was going to adjust the personal emolument votes (PE) of the Civil Service accordingly to cater for this increment before submission of the 2024 draft budget to the National Assembly.”
“However, we later learned that this was not done. To overcome the potential budgetary shortfall created by this realization, the Ministry of Finance has recently engaged the Ministry of Public Service to identify possible savings on the 2024 PE vote to accommodate these increments,” he told the members.
Minister Bouy stated that they have done some analysis, shared their analysis with the Ministry of Finance, and are currently waiting for their response.
“We have done some analysis, which we have shared with the Minister of Finance. And from our analysis, we know that it will be possible to make the necessary servings to be able to effect off these payments (allowances),” he said.
During the supplementary questions, Honorable Badjie inquired whether the minister was optimistic about the allowance commencing in 2024 and, if so, which specific month.
In response, Minister Bouye affirmed his hopefulness but clarified that he could not pinpoint the exact month.
The Honorable Member For Lower Saloum, Hon. Sainey Jawara said the estimated budget was approved, and later, the spokesperson announced that allowances would be increased, saying, “Don’t you think there was linkage of information given out to the public”?
The minister expressed doubt because the submission was initially expected to be part of the version presented to parliament. He emphasized that the time between cabinet approval and National Assembly approval was quite brief, and he does not believe there was any lapse in the information provided.
“We have looked at the budget to be able to make provisions based on the vacant positions that are there, which cannot be all filled this year. And we intended to use those monies voted for in that vacant position to take care of these allowances as a temporary measure until the next budget, that we will be able to cater everything in full,” he said.