However, he expressed concern over the continued underperformance of non-tax revenues, including fees, service charges, and dividends from state-owned enterprises, which he said fell far below annual targets. According to him, weak non-tax revenue collection places an unfair burden on citizens and small businesses while public assets contribute less than expected to national development.
On the expenditure side, Bobb observed that although total spending largely followed budget projections, recurrent expenditure particularly personnel emoluments rose sharply. While acknowledging inflationary pressures and public sector staffing needs, he stressed that rising recurrent costs must be matched by visible improvements in public service delivery.
He further pointed out that debt servicing remains the government’s biggest fiscal constraint, with interest payments consuming a significant share of public resources. Bobb warned that high domestic borrowing costs continue to crowd out funding for critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.
The APP-Sobeyaa spokesperson also raised concerns about continued deficit financing, cautioning that borrowing to sustain recurrent expenditure without clear long-term returns risks shifting today’s fiscal burden onto future generations.
Despite these challenges, Bobb welcomed the regular publication of the budget performance report as a positive step toward fiscal transparency. He, however, stressed that transparency must be accompanied by clear policy direction, stronger oversight of state-owned enterprises, and a credible strategy to manage debt and expand fiscal space.
