The Gambia is facing a heavy debt burden due to fiscal indiscipline and poor debt management. The International Monetary Fund warned the Barrow government against any borrowing after the country’s debt reached 130 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of last year.

The Barrow administration relies almost entirely on domestic borrowing to run his administration.

Most of the country’s debt was contracted under Jammeh, either through borrowing or government’s taking on the liabilities of state-owned enterprises.

However, the Barrow government’s terrible handling of the public finances has worsened the country’s debt. Wasting public money on travels and per diems with little or no return for the tax payers is just wrong. In just seven months this year, the government has spent over US$ 4 million on travels and per diems alone.

Gambia’s economic growth is slow, less than 5 percent, while inflation is above 6 percent, indicating the rising level of economic hardship for Gambians.

In 2017, about 42 percent of government revenue went into interest payments. The amount for debt servicing is only set to increase, which means that the government won’t be having the money to spend on social welfare schemes, public health and education among others.

In tackling the country’s rising and unsustainable debt, the Barrow government recently appointed the Washington-based Potomac Group to help put The Gambia’s debt on a “sustainable path”.

Currently, The Gambia’s high public debt is equivalent to over US$600 per Gambian.

In a country where the average salary is US$ 20 per month, this is unacceptable.