By Makutu Manneh
The National Assembly Member for Wuli East, Suwaibou Touray, has accused the administration of President Adama Barrow of lacking financial discipline, citing what he described as routine overspending and unauthorized budget reallocations.
In a recent interview with Kerr Fatou, Mr. Touray pointed to the financing of the president’s “Meet the People Tour” as an example of what he characterized as weak fiscal controls.
According to Mr. Touray, during a previous appearance before the National Assembly, the finance minister was questioned about why expenditures for the president’s nationwide tour repeatedly exceeded the amounts approved by lawmakers. The minister, Mr. Touray said, responded that he could not refuse additional funding requests from the president.
“If the National Assembly approves 10 million dalasis for the president’s tour and he asks for more, the minister said he will not deny him,” Mr. Touray recounted.
The lawmaker argued that such practices undermine the integrity of the national budget. Once approved by legislators, he said, allocations should not be altered without due process. Instead, he contended, substantial portions of the budget are diverted from their original purposes.
“If we prepare a budget with all the projects and their allocated amounts, they will take almost 50 percent of the budget and divert it,” he said, adding that the changes occur without consequences for those responsible.
Mr. Touray framed the issue as a broader failure of leadership and accountability in public financial management. Effective stewardship of state resources, he said, requires adherence to approved spending plans and clear justification for any adjustments.
He also criticized what he described as displays of wealth during presidential tours. Citing national poverty figures that he said range between 50 and 51 percent of the population, Mr. Touray questioned the optics of distributing foreign currency, including euros, to griots at political rallies.
“The foreign currency is depreciating our dalasi,” he said, arguing that such gestures project affluence at a time when many citizens face economic hardship.
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