The Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has challenged lawmakers to ensure that public resources are utilized transparently and responsibly.
He issued the challenge on Tuesday, 29th September 2026, during the official opening of the community outreach and social audit on the 2027 budget estimates of revenue and expenditure, organized and conducted by the Gambian Parliament.
The outreach brought together participants from KMC, Banjul, and the West Coast Region to discuss and provide a platform for citizens to share their views on the estimates, with the aim of considering those views during budget allocation by the legislature.
Speaker Jatta told the gathering that the three core mandates of the legislature are legislation, representation, and oversight.
He emphasized that “none of these responsibilities can be effectively fulfilled from behind closed doors. A parliament that does not listen to its citizens, sooner or later, stops speaking for them,” noting that the forum is a significant part of their constitutional duty.
He informed the audience that, at the just-concluded third ordinary session, the Criminal Procedure Bill and the Consumer Protection Bill both passed the second reading and are now proceeding to the Committee Stage for detailed consideration.
He added that the proposed National Assembly Powers and Privileges Bill has also been the subject of stakeholder engagement, because laws affecting the institution itself “must be shaped openly and transparently.”
He assured participants that the Assembly does not rush any bill at the expense of quality, stressing that thorough scrutiny is essential to obtain meaningful public input.
He described the national budget as perhaps the clearest statement of a nation’s priorities, reminding that the Assembly holds the constitutional “power of the purse” and members are preparing to exercise that responsibility in respect of the 2027 budget.
He challenged lawmakers: “Our approach to the budget must be guided by three fundamental objectives: to ensure that allocations reflect the real needs of our communities, to ensure that previous allocations have been spent as intended, and for citizens to feel and follow where the money goes.”
He called on lawmakers to scrutinize the estimates rigorously, demanding that ministers and government agencies provide full and honest answers, while encouraging citizens to follow the budget process.
He stressed: “Public resources entrusted to Honorable Members must be utilized transparently, responsibly, and for the benefit of the communities they serve. These resources are public funds and therefore remain subject to scrutiny, including scrutiny by the very citizens they are intended to serve.”
He further emphasized that a strong parliament requires a strong, professional, and accountable Assembly service. He assured that the Assembly Service Authority remains “committed to strengthening the service through sound systems, continued capacity building, and the digitalization of our parliamentary work so that members are better supported and citizens are better served.”
“We are equally committed to strengthening administrative discipline within the institution. We cannot credibly demand accountability from others while neglecting accountability within our own institutions,” Speaker Jatta told the gathering.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Khalipha MM Mbye, told participants that the forum is designed to help shorten the distance between the Assembly and the people.
He added that it also provides an opportunity for the Assembly to explain how Parliament works, how the national budget is prepared and scrutinized, and how public resources, including the Constituency Development Fund, are intended to serve communities.
He explained that a social audit is, at its heart, an exercise in mutual accountability and a platform for information-sharing. It is an opportunity for citizens to ask questions, seek explanations, and contribute their lived experiences to the work of the Assembly.
“We therefore encourage you to engage frankly, constructively, and openly. Your questions, concerns, and observations will be documented and, where appropriate, carried into the legislative, oversight, and policy work of the Assembly,” he said.
He clarified that the engagement was not intended to tell participants what the Assembly has, but rather to listen to them.
This, he said, is crucial, and he urged participants “to ask questions freely, share your experiences candidly, and hold this institution to account.”
