By Makutu Manneh
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, The Gambia’s minister of information, media, and broadcasting services, said public perceptions of widespread corruption are often driven by a limited understanding of how government finances are managed, arguing that reforms have significantly strengthened safeguards over public funds.
Speaking on a program he hosted on GRTS Radio alongside other cabinet ministers, Ceesay reflected on his own views before entering government, saying his understanding of public finance changed after taking office.
“Before I came to government, I didn’t know how public finance works,” he said. “I was saying things that when I came to government I realized what I was saying were rumors.”
Ceesay maintained that financial management reforms have made it difficult to misappropriate public funds.
“Nobody can steal a butut in government coffers,” he said, using the local term for the country’s smallest currency denomination to emphasize his point.
The minister urged greater public education on government financial management, arguing that a better understanding of how public funds are administered would help reduce misconceptions about corruption and improve public discourse on state finances.
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