According to the agenda of the current parliamentary session the NAMs were supposed to adopt the draft budget estimates yesterday December 7.
On December 15th the Minister of Finance is expected to deliver the budget speech and the laying of the Appropriation Bill before Parliament for debate for only 5 days until December 19 for approval. When the bill is passed it means our money is now made available to Pres. Adama Barrow to spend as the national budget.
In the past one week our NAMs had truly stood up to scrutinize the estimates even though they had only 11 days. This time is not enough at all for a discussion of a matter that concerns the life and death of a whole nation.
We hope in the new Constitution, the timeline for the budget process will change so as to give adequate time to NAMs to discuss the issue. It is also important that the new Constitution makes it mandatory on the Ministry of Finance and the Parliament to share draft estimates publicly so that citizens can engage in the budget process as well.
While commending the NAMs for playing their part quite effectively, in the meantime we hope the Appropriation bill will not contain the following:
1. No to Government renting expensive private premises. Use public buildings for public offices.
2. No to allocation to unconstitutional ‘Office of the First Lady’.
3. No to allocation to ‘Presidential Donation’ or ‘State of the Nation Address.’
4. No to exorbitant allocations for ‘office furniture and renovations’.
5. Reduce the number of Gambian embassies and consulates.
6. Indicate the full salary of President and Vice President in the budget.
7. Reduce the purchase of vehicles for central government offices.
8. More allocations to hospitals, primary and secondary schools, UTG and skills training centres, police and fire stations, social welfare programs, facilities and services.
9. More resources to diversified and quality food production, processing, storage and marketing facilities and agricultural development.
10. More allocations to the construction of roads and energy infrastructure.
We need a budget that creates opportunities for children, youth and women. We need a budget that builds skills and knowledge. We need a budget that provides adequate and quality social goods and services. We need a budget that builds national capacity to produce, manufacture and build. We need a budget that develops lives and livelihoods of citizens! We need a budget that energises the private sector and encourages local investment!
We do not need a budget that enriches public officers and widens the gap between the haves and have-nots. We do not need a budget that generates inequality, poverty and debt!
For the Gambia, Our Homeland!
A dependent nation is a weak nation. To build a strong Gambia one that we can all be proud of we must make good fiscal decisions that will bear fruit today and in the future. As we discuss our national budget, it is prudent to take the position that hard choices must be made, and responsible choices will be the order of the day.
First principle. We must clearly identify where our resources will come from. How much can we bring in as income. By our human and material resources, labor, intellect and science. The word is income, not loans, not handouts, not IMF overtures.
Second principle. We cannot and must not spend what we do not have. “Nemo dat quod non habet”. Only a foolish man gives away what he does not have. Our budget passage must by law be contingent on a balanced bottom line. Anything else is “no mas”.
Third principle. We must establish by a well thought out and acceptable metrics areas of priorities, and level of those priorities. We can then allocate money carefully based on national interest and ROI.
In our metamorphosis as a nation, we must accept that some sacrifice must come with success. We cannot and must not tolerate self indulgence, waste and corruption in any form.
Madi is right again.
God Bless The Gambia.
Madi, Jollofnews 11th December 2017
Silence is not always a means to reminisce on burning issues. Silence on burning national issues is basically a sign of hypocrisy, naivety and reactionary conformism.
You may say I agree or don’t agree but when you try to elude your country’s important national issues and your commitments, you are a SELLOUT, an UNPATRIOTIC “citizen”.
Halifa Sallah refused to take Barrow’s office on his clear conscience that he wants to unreservedly work for our country without subjecting himself to the presidential dictum and wishes. It’s gradually being reflected on his recent pronouncements when he went to London and at the recent Parliament sitting where he asked for the abrogation/annulment of the Office of First Lady where our meagre resources are wastefully siphoned to Yai Kompins and the president’s families.
If the Jawara and Jammeh governments upheld that office, (which never existed during the colonial domination) it’s now time to look into the validity of such a gorgeous “position” and its impact on our national economy and development.
I know the UDP/APRC/other Conformist NAMs would have NEVER raised that issue in parliament given the fact that they have already been corrupted by the vehicles they received from CORRUPT and EGOCENTRIC Barrow.
How can you speak against a person who has given you thousands of dalasis worth of items from the people’s money?
Gambians have to start seeing in Halifa Sallah a patriotic, non-conformist son of the country whose only ideals are embedded in his devotion to redeem the country from CORRUPT and CORRUPTIBLE, SELFISH elements.
Besides, how much does Barrow earn for not doing anything? Why is the president’s salary hidden in the budget if there is no deliberate intention to cheat our people and siphon any amount from the people’s coffers at will? There is no democratic state where the monthly salary and fringe benefits of a president are not exposed/read to the people.
I have on several occasions reiterated that change will never take place with this “bitty” USELESS coalition administration. Democratic dispensation is for people to feel the full benefits of the country’s resources. When that’s absent there is no democracy although they might boast about freedom of speech/oral expression which is never adhered to by the authorities. The USELESS Barrow government does not care what Gambians complain about. They will continue to do at will in spite of the people’s claims and complains. Because they know that Gambians are naïve and conformist.
Dishing out the people’s money to Jaliba Kuyateh and other griots will always continue. We have to remember that President Jammeh found Jaliba Kuyateh in the company of Omar Jallow(OJ) during the Ex-President Jawara regime. These were the Jawara ministers; OJ, Saihou Sabally, who kept/sustained Jaliba Kuyateh on the corrupt/patronage trend by dishing our people’s money to him and kept him as a teacher (with his teacher’s salary) without going to class.
If the same people return to government, with their same patriachic/ anachronic mentalities, what can we expect from them? Jaliba Kuyateh, being that HYPOCRITE griot, who left OJ to align with President Jammeh would undoubtedly return to the same roots he was estranged from for 22 years. Jaliba is just an opportunist!
We are seeing a renaissance of CULT building: The PRESIDENT BARROW YOUTH MOVEMENT. Only the outphased eccentric Waa Juwara will come forward to support such an innocuous movement that will only help CORRUPT officials to swindle/siphon the poor people’s money into their personal bank accounts.
Madi,
Silence is not always a means to reminisce on burning issues. Silence on burning national issues is basically a sign of hypocrisy, naivety and reactionary conformism.
You may say I agree or don’t agree but when you try to elude your country’s important national issues and your commitments, you are a SELLOUT, an UNPATRIOTIC “citizen”.
Halifa Sallah refused to take Barrow’s office on his clear conscience that he wants to unreservedly work for our country without subjecting himself to the presidential dictum and wishes. It’s gradually being reflected on his recent pronouncements when he went to London and at the recent Parliament sitting where he asked for the abrogation/annulment of the Office of First Lady where our meagre resources are wastefully siphoned to Yai Kompins and the president’s families.
If the Jawara and Jammeh governments upheld that office, (which never existed during the colonial domination) it’s now time to look into the validity of such a gorgeous “position” and its impact on our national economy and development.
I know the UDP/APRC/other Conformist NAMs would have NEVER raised that issue in parliament given the fact that they have already been corrupted by the vehicles they received from CORRUPT and EGOCENTRIC Barrow.
How can you speak against a person who has given you thousands of dalasis worth of items from the people’s money?
Gambians have to start seeing in Halifa Sallah a patriotic, non-conformist son of the country whose only ideals are embedded in his devotion to redeem the country from CORRUPT and CORRUPTIBLE, SELFISH elements.
Besides, how much does Barrow earn for not doing anything? Why is the president’s salary hidden in the budget if there is no deliberate intention to cheat our people and siphon any amount from the people’s coffers at will? There is no democratic state where the monthly salary and fringe benefits of a president are not exposed/read to the people.
I have on several occasions reiterated that change will never take place with this “bitty” USELESS coalition administration. Democratic dispensation is for people to feel the full benefits of the country’s resources. When that’s absent there is no democracy although they might boast about freedom of speech/oral expression which is never adhered to by the authorities. The USELESS Barrow government does not care what Gambians complain about. They will continue to do at will in spite of the people’s claims and complains. Because they know that Gambians are naïve and conformist.
Dishing out the people’s money to Jaliba Kuyateh and other griots will always continue. We have to remember that President Jammeh found Jaliba Kuyateh in the company of Omar Jallow(OJ) during the Ex-President Jawara regime. These were the Jawara ministers; OJ, Saihou Sabally, who kept/sustained Jaliba Kuyateh on the corrupt/patronage trend by dishing our people’s money to him and kept him as a teacher (with his teacher’s salary) without going to class.
If the same people return to government, with their same patriachic/ anachronic mentalities, what can we expect from them? Jaliba Kuyateh, being that HYPOCRITE griot, who left OJ to align with President Jammeh would undoubtedly return to the same roots he was estranged from for 22 years. Jaliba is just an opportunist!
We are seeing a renaissance of CULT building: The PRESIDENT BARROW YOUTH MOVEMENT. Only the outphased eccentric Waa Juwara will come forward to support such an innocuous movement that will only help CORRUPT officials to swindle/siphon the poor people’s money into their personal bank accounts.
Babu, don’t be too hard on Jaliba Kuyateh. He is a griot (traditional musician) and has chosen to remain within the roots of the griot tradition. That means, he has to compose songs for his “Batufaalu”, which he does brilliantly across Gambian society, with some of those carrying very good “teachings” on attitudes and behaviour, like “MUMINY BAYO”.
He has also produced some very educative songs, with beautiful lyrics and two of my favourite such songs are FUTUWO (marriage) and POLITICO (politics). And don’t forget, he is a very good ambassador of The Gambia. I think the blame lies with those who lavish Jaliba with cash on stage, most especially, those in public office.
As for the launching of the “President Barrow Youth Movement”, I think political observers will be right if they attribute the move to early signs of a possible fracture within the UDP. It is certainly, a very interesting development, and we should all watch unfolding events with keen interest. One thing is for sure: The 3 year transitional term has been discarded, if VP Jallow Tambajang’s celebration statement is anything to go by, because there’s no doubt that any coalition meeting to discuss extending the term to 5 years will reach a consensus to do so.
And may be, even lift the “gentleman ban” on President Barrow to pave the way for him to contest next Presidential Elections.
Very interesting times because we can be rest assured that there are, behind the scene, political maneuverings and repositionings, as we cruise through the transition period, towards next elections.