By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, has lauded the 2025 national budget as the most outstanding in decades, highlighting a remarkably low deficit of just 0.1% of the GDP.
Speaking at his ministry’s monthly press conference at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center in Bijilo, Dr. Ceesay detailed the government’s economic achievements and plans.
“Inflation has gone down from 18% to somewhere between 10 and 8%. The medium-term aim is for 5%. According to the Central Bank forecast, growth is going from 5.3% to 5.6% to 6% by the end of 2025. The budget is a very good budget. One of the best budgets the Gambia has produced for decades. It’s almost a balanced budget. 0.1% of GDP is the deficit; that is Hundred and nine eight million Dalasi; which is unprecedented. Normally countries aim for between 4 and 5% of budget deficit of GDP, but we are able to manage 0.1%. This is all because of the prudent monetary and fiscal policy of this government,” he stated.
He highlighted that the government has experienced a positive year, bolstered by strong support from its citizens.
Dr. Ceesay further elaborated on the recently announced civil service salary restructuring, which includes a significant salary increase starting in January. This initiative aims to enhance productivity and stimulate economic growth while reflecting the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
He explained that the salary adjustments are part of a broader economic strategy designed to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. The average salary increase is 30%, with lower-earning employees benefiting from increments of up to 60%, while higher-earning employees will see increases of up to 15%.
“So to cushion the impact of the cost of living crisis, the government is going to boost the salaries of civil servants by an average of 30%. What that means is that those earning lower can be up to a 60% increment and those who earn higher can be up to 15%; so that we can narrow the gap between those who earn more and those who earn less; so that nobody is left behind because our mantra is inclusive development and inclusive prosperity,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay further emphasized the government’s commitment to reducing rural-urban disparities, prioritizing rural development to ensure balanced national progress.
“That is why if you look at what the president is doing, development starts from rural areas where we are building more in rural areas than urban areas so that there will be a time when no one will be left behind. The gap between rural and urban will diminish, not exist anymore,” he said.
Acknowledging the challenges of development, Dr. Ceesay expressed confidence that the government’s efforts would overcome obstacles to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for all Gambians.