Bakary K. Jammeh, the governor of Central Bank in a statement stated that recurrent expenditure increased by 31.2 percent to D8.0 billion (8.1 percent of GDP) compared to D6.1 billion (7.0 percent of GDP) in the first half of 2019, while adding that capital expenditure on the other hand, declined by 22.9 percent to D2.8 billion (2.9 percent of GDP).
The statement further reads that: “Preliminary estimates of government fiscal operations indicated that overall deficit, including grants worsened from D0.6 billion (0.7 percent of GDP) in the first half of 2019 to a deficit of D1.6 billion (0.4 percent of GDP) in the first half of 2020. The budget deficit excluding grants, however, improved to D3.2 billion (3.2 percent of GDP) in the first half of 2020 compared to D3.5 billion (4.0 percent of GDP) in the same period in 2019.”
He said that the total revenue and grants stood at D9.2 billion (9.4 percent of GDP) in the first six months of 2020 compared to D9.1 billion (10.4 percent of GDP) in the same period last year.
“Tax revenue rose by 4.3 percent to D5.4 billion (5.5 percent of GDP) in the first half of 2020 from D5.2 billion (5.9 percent of GDP) in the corresponding period a year ago. Non-tax revenue also rose to D2.3 billion (2.3 percent of GDP) in the first six months of 2020 from D1.0 billion (1.2 percent of GDP) in the same period last year.”
Martin Kyere, the sole known survivor of the 2005 massacre of 50 West African nationals by ‘Junglers’ in The Gambia on Monday revealed before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission the identities, the types of tortures and the execution of different nationalities, who were among those arrested in Banjul on 22 July 2005.
Hassoum Ceesay, director general, National Center for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has told journalists that the road construction at Ker Batch will boost the development of UNESCO world heritage site.
The Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) in partnership with government has recently rolled out new buses in addition to its normal fleet to address the daily nightmare faced by commuters amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
Information has reached to The Point that despite the official closure of The Gambia’s borders with neighbouring Senegal, many still continue travelling through Kerr Jaing village in the Lower Niumi District to get in and out of the two countries.
