He made this statement before the National Assembly to respond to queries from the Member for Upper Saloum, Alhagie Mbowe, shedding light on government-funded scholarships and long-standing vacant positions across ministries.
Minister Boye added that officers who absconded have been dismissed by the Public Service Commission, and the Personnel Management Office (PMO) is now pursuing the recovery of funds spent on their training. “They will be required to report their case to the Solicitor General and the legal sector,” Boye added.
He also clarified that scholarships awarded by other government agencies do not fall under the PMO’s authority.
Hon. Mbowe then sought a breakdown of the total number of scholarship beneficiaries from 2021 to date. In response, Minister Boye disclosed that 2,992 civil servants have been sponsored either directly by the government or through government-aided institutions with salary support. These include awards administered by the PMO, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Higher Education under the Open Scholarship Scheme.
He tabled figures covering the period 2021-2025, showing scholarship distribution across key sectors. “Some civil servants also benefit from the Open Scholarship managed by the Ministry of Higher Education,” he noted.
The Upper Saloum lawmaker further questioned the Minister about positions that have remained vacant for more than two years and the budgetary impact of such gaps. Minister Boye explained that the PMO annually engages ministries and agencies to assess their staffing needs. During these sessions, MDAs present their establishment registers and propose new posts or removal of redundant ones.
“As a matter of policy, PMO suppresses any position left vacant for over six months unless there is a genuine reason,” he said.
He explained that most long-standing vacancies occur in the security sector. This, he said, resulted from the 2017–2020 recruitment moratorium imposed during the security sector reform process. While many officers retired or left during that period, institutions were not permitted to replace them, leaving several positions budgeted for but empty for years.
According to PMO records up to October 2025, the largest vacancies were within the police, Gambia Armed Forces, Immigration, Fire Service, and SIS, alongside posts under ministries such as Gender, Information, Communication and Digital Economy, Health and Trade.
Minister Boye confirmed that recruitment has now resumed. “The police recently recruited over 1,300 personnel, while the armed forces have taken in 500. Immigration and the Fire and Rescue Services are also set to begin recruitment before the end of the fiscal year,” he said.
