The budget of the Banjul City Council remains unresolved nearly five months into 2026 after disagreements among councillors. Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe decided to refer the matter to the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs.
At a general council meeting held on 14 May, the mayor said the council had still failed to agree on the draft budget.
"Until now, we could not finalise the issue of the budget," she said.
She added, "I don't know what the status of the budget is."
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The mayor requested the chairperson of the BBC's Finance Committee to update her on the status of the budget. She added that the delay was affecting the operations of the council and councillors' payments.
"It is either we vote on the budget here - in or out, or else, tomorrow I will do as I told the CEO that I will take it to the Ministry to decide," she said.
"We could not agree on the budget until May. It is almost June. The officials of the Ministry always come here every day, and they always call you [referring to the chairperson of the Finance Committee, Abdoulie Krubally], they always call Sheriff [Njie, acting finance director]. They call the CEO every day. We are the only council whose budget has not passed yet. We still could not decide."
She added, "I will throw on the floor. If we can vote for it, we vote, and if we cannot vote, the Ministry has the mandate to call for bilateral and decide what is right or wrong."
"This has never happened in the Banjul City Council. It is happening for the first time."
The chairperson of the Finance Committee, nominated councillor Abdoulie Krubally, began by saying he had been engaging the Permanent Secretary at the ministry over the delay. He said all other councils had already submitted their budgets. He added that the Finance Committee held a meeting with the councillors to discuss the budget.
"Unfortunately, when we came to the meeting, we could not conclude on the budget as anticipated," he said.
Krubally said the Finance Committee had already completed its work and submitted the matter to the general council.
"For us at the Finance Committee, we have done our best to make sure that we have a budget. We did our part as a committee; that was two months ago. Unfortunately, it could not materialise. We are done as the Finance Committee. It is now left with the general council to decide."
He added that the general council is the highest decision-making body of the council. The mayor interrupted him, saying, "It does not work that way."
"[Remember] I told you when you informed me that you wanted to invite all the councillors, and I told you it doesn't work that way. That was what the ministry was telling you. You were supposed to sit as a committee and discuss, then bring it here. There was no need to call all the councillors for a meeting. I told you."
She said the committee had done "extremely well", but the budget could not continue to be delayed.
"I am putting it on the floor for a vote. Those who are not in support of the budget, raise your hands," the mayor declared.
"One or two people should not be allowed to drag the budget."
Mayor Lowe added, "That is what was supposed to happen. That was what even the PS said. I have never seen this. I am seeing this for the first time. So, we are going to vote it today. It is either yes or no."
The disagreement centred partly on concerns raised by councillors over revenue lines and expenditure items in the draft budget.
Councillor Tunkor Jammeh questioned the absence of revenue from the "Wanterr" market allocation exercise, which he witnessed and other councillors. He recalled that vendors were making sales, and some of them complained that they were not allocated space. He stated that he participated in the allocation of the space, but he did not see that in the budget.
"I saw that in the budget that it was zero," he said. "In the Wanterr, we made money."
He said vendors had paid for spaces allocated by the council.
"I told Abdoulie [Krubally] that I cannot approve the budget," he said.
Councillor Bintou Kabba Jaiteh also raised concerns over a cleansing services project allocated D10 million in the draft budget for 2026.
"We had an agreement about this cleaning project. What we agreed on for the cleaning project and what had happened are two different things," she said.
"I think it is either we go back and review the project, or we take it out of the budget."
The mayor interjected and responded that the allocation could not be removed because "it got ministerial approval".
Jaiteh continued: "There is no councillor who can tell you he or she knows how the cleaning service is taking place."
"What we agreed on was that since the council is funding it, let it go back to the wards."
Councillor Sheikh Jaw supported the concerns.
"If even we have partners, this initiative is funded by the council, and we are seeing it being budgeted in the council, and it is not benefiting us and is not empowering us," he said.
"Now, you are putting ten million dalasi in the budget for it again."
Jaw added that the budget line was not clear on the paper, and they had to go to the director of finance, who told them that the amount was ten million dalasi: "We see this as deceptive. It is better that we remove it from the budget before we can approve it. That is my position."
Krubally denied allegations that the Finance Committee had attempted to hide the budget line.
"It is not about hiding anything," he said.
"We are having pressure as a city council because until now our budget has not been submitted. We are here blaming one another. It does not work for anybody."
Councillor Pa Mamudou Ceesay said the purpose of earlier discussions was to resolve disagreements before the budget came before the general council.
"When Abdoulie showed that there was a push and pull, he decided to take it before the general council," Ceesay said.
The mayor later told councillors she would forward the draft budget and a report on the disagreements to the ministry.
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"Let's just close this topic. I have heard all your concerns. I will take it to the Ministry," she said.
Nominated councillor Fallou Gallas Ceesay attempted to continue the debate on the issue, but the mayor rejected it, saying she had ruled on the matter.
"Things have been happening, and it has been dragging for way too long," Gallas said.
He also criticised the absence of "Any Other Business" discussions during council meetings.
"AOB is not a must," the mayor responded.
"I know it is not a must, but it is a good practice," Gallas said.
The mayor replied: "I can tell you that most of the institutions now are removing AOB. Because it is only a waste of time."
Gallas suggested reconvening another meeting to settle the remaining disputes over the budget.
"We can discuss the budget and be done with it," he said.
The mayor rejected the proposal.
"I cannot call back a meeting for the budget and pay again. That will not happen again," she said.
She ended the discussion by stating, "Let's leave it with the Ministry to decide it. It is over."
As per the Local Government Act, the mandate of the Ministry is to "assist in the provision of technical assistance to Local Government Authorities." The issue of the budget remains unresolved. The mayor is now saying she is going to forward the matter to the Ministry. This is the fifth month of 2026, and the budget has still not been approved.
