By: Fatou Krubally
Tombong Saidy, member of Unite Movement for Change, has accused the government of deliberately misinforming Gambians about the true scale of the country’s debt crisis, warning that senior officials are “downplaying a national emergency.”
Saidy’s comments follow recent remarks by Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, where he dismissed concerns over The Gambia’s $2.2 billion national debt, asking: “What is $2.2 billion?” Saidy says statements like these are not only misleading but also ignore the stark economic reality facing the country.
He noted that when assessed against the size of the economy and government revenue, The Gambia ranks among the world’s most heavily indebted countries relative to its capacity to repay. “To treat this as insignificant is irresponsible,” he said, arguing that such rhetoric attempts to pacify a public already feeling the weight of rising costs of living and shrinking opportunities.
Saidy also challenged Finance Minister Seedy Keita’s recent assertion that 80% of the national debt is the responsibility of previous administrations. “This is simply not true,” Saidy insisted, pointing to figures that show the rapid acceleration of borrowing under President Adama Barrow.
According to Saidy, in 2016, The Gambia’s total public debt stood at about D47 billion. Today, that figure has ballooned to more than D110 billion. “This government has borrowed more than the Jawara and Jammeh administrations combined,” he said. “That is a historical fact, and no amount of spin can change it.”
He argued that while borrowing is a normal part of national development, the real issue lies in how funds are used. Saidy accused the Barrow administration of contracting loans for “overpriced, non-priority, and politically driven projects” that bring little long-term value to ordinary Gambians.
He called on the government to end what he described as a pattern of misinformation and instead adopt a culture of transparency. Saidy urged authorities to publish full details of loan agreements, repayment obligations, grants, and project results.
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By: Fatou Krubally Tombong Saidy, member of Unite Movement for Change, has accused the government of deliberately misinforming Gambians about…
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