The Gambia's Minister of Public Service, Baboucarr Bouy, has announced a significant salary increase for civil servants in an effort to reduce attrition and address pay disparities. The aggregate salary has been increased by 30%, with transport and residential allowances boosted by 100% and 105% respectively. The announcement was made during a town hall meeting in Bijilo, attended by cabinet ministers, government officials, media personnel, and community members.
During a town hall meeting in Bijilo, Gambia, Public Service Minister Hon. Baboucarr Bouy announced a significant increase in civil service salaries and allowances. The move, which includes a 30% increase in aggregate salary and 100% and 105% increases in transport and residential allowances respectively, is aimed at retaining professional personnel within the Civil Service. The minister expressed optimism that the salary increase will help to address the loss of over 200 civil servants to parastatals and the private sector in the past two years.
The Gambia government's key road project, the Hakalang Road, has been funded by tax payer’s money and has taken five years to complete, with annual allocations of hundreds of millions of dalasi. Despite an announcement that the road will be inaugurated in April 2025, there are projections for further allocations of 621 million dalasi in 2026 and 658 million dalasi in 2027, raising questions about the project's financial management.
The Gambia's Minister of Public Service, Baboucarr Bouy, announced a collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and support from Bangladesh to digitize a government portal for improved public service delivery. The digitization process aims to simplify access to national identification cards, passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and business registration. The Minister also revealed plans for an internal audit on all ministries, except Basic and Secondary Education, Health, and Agriculture, to control the country's wage bill.