**The Gambia Ranks Third in Sub‑Saharan Africa for Budget Transparency, Open Budget Survey Shows**
*Banjul, 25 August 2026* – The 2025 Open Budget Survey (OBS), an independent global assessment of public access to central‑government budget information, placed The Gambia third among the Sub‑Saharan African countries evaluated. The country earned a transparency score of 36 out of 100, according to the survey’s findings released by the Gambia Participates platform on Tuesday.
**Regional ranking**
In the Sub‑Saharan comparison, Sierra Leone topped the list with a score of 50, followed by Senegal at 42. The Gambia’s 36 points placed it ahead of Nigeria (24) and Ghana (22). While the ranking marks a notable improvement from the 2019 survey—when The Gambia recorded only four points and ranked last among the same group—the score remains well below the OBS benchmark of 61, which the survey identifies as the minimum level required for governments to provide sufficient information for informed public debate.
**Progress over time**
The 2025 assessment is the fourth time The Gambia has participated in the OBS, having previously taken part in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The increase from four points in 2019 to 36 points in 2025 represents the country’s highest transparency rating to date, though the survey still classifies the level as “insufficient.”
**Oversight and public participation**
The OBS also evaluated budget oversight and public participation. In 2025, the National Assembly received a score of 50 for budget oversight, while audit oversight was rated at 78. Public participation scores varied across the budget cycle: 20 for formulation, 44 for approval, 17 for implementation, and 33 for audit processes.
**Survey methodology**
The OBS measures the availability, timeliness and comprehensiveness of eight key budget documents—such as the Executive’s Budget Proposal, Pre‑Budget Statement, Enacted Budget, In‑Year Reports, Mid‑Year Review, Year‑End Report and Audit Report—using 106 equally weighted indicators. The 2025 edition covered 83 countries and marked the survey’s tenth iteration.
**Recommendations**
The survey’s report outlined several recommendations for The Gambia to enhance transparency and participation:
* Publish the Pre‑Budget Statement online at least one month before the Executive submits its Budget Proposal to the National Assembly.
* Release Audit Reports online within 18 months after the fiscal year ends.
* Issue the Mid‑Year Review within three months of the fiscal year’s midpoint and the Year‑End Report within 12 months of the fiscal year’s close.
* Increase legislative involvement in budget adjustments, requiring consultation with the National Assembly before reallocating funds or reducing spending due to revenue shortfalls.
* Expand opportunities for civil‑society organisations and the public to engage in budget formulation and implementation, with particular focus on vulnerable and under‑represented communities.
* Provide feedback to citizens on how their contributions influence budget decisions and implementation.
**Outlook**
While The Gambia’s third‑place regional ranking signals progress, the OBS highlights persistent gaps in public access to budget information, parliamentary oversight, and citizen participation. Meeting the survey’s recommendations could help the country move closer to the 61‑point threshold deemed necessary for robust public scrutiny of fiscal policy.
Article and image source: allafrica.com
