Every year, the government announces new donor projects. Billions of dalasis in loans and grants, signed in our name, celebrated in speeches, and reported in newspapers. But when you look at the Auditor General’s reports, the truth is shocking much of this money never reaches the people , it sits “undrawn” in the books, hidden from our eyes.
The Big Numbers
At the end of 2023, the government had:
• D29.74 billion in grants approved but not yet used.
• D4.65 billion in loans approved but not yet disbursed.
In total, over D34 billion in donor money was promised for Gambians , but still waiting.
Who Are the Donors?
The reports list the big programmes that make up this huge pipeline:
• European Union Budget Support: D836 million.
• French Budget Support: D196 million.
• World Bank (IDA GIRAV programme): D1.3 billion (for agriculture).
• IFAD ROOTS project: over D385 million.
• Saudi Fund (Energy & Water projects): D114 million.
• Climate Funds (GCF & GEF): D87 million + D107 million.
This is not small money. These are life-changing sums that could transform schools, farms, hospitals, and roads across the country.
What Does “Undrawn” Mean?
In plain words:
• Donors have signed agreements.
• The money is approved.
• But government has not accessed or spent it yet , because of delays, failed conditions, or lack of capacity.
And worse: donor projects are still kept off IFMIS (the government’s main accounting system). That means citizens cannot track receipts and spending in real time.
Why This Matters
• While D34 billion sits idle, classrooms in rural Gambia still have children sitting on bare floors.
• While funds wait on paper, hospitals run out of medicine.
• While loans and grants are delayed, farmers beg for tools,fertilizers and seeds.
The gap between promises and reality is measured in suffering , not numbers.
The Hidden Risks
1. Project Delays = Broken Promises,Every dalasi undrawn means a project announced but not delivered.
2. Loan Commitment Fees: Even when loans are unused, government may still pay fees , money lost with nothing to show.
3. Corruption Risk: When projects are tracked “off-book,” transparency is lost. Who benefits then? Not the ordinary Gambian.
What Gambians Must Demand
The National Assembly and FPAC should ask:
1. Give us the full project-by-project breakdown of the D29.7B in grants and D4.65B in loans.
2. Why are donor projects still outside IFMIS after three years of promises?
3. What conditions are blocking disbursement , and who is responsible for the delays?
The Verdict
Donor money is meant to build our future, not sit in accounting schedules.
• D29.7B in grants.
• D4.65B in loans.
• D34.4B in total, promised but not delivered.
While billions wait, Gambians are left waiting too , for schools, for jobs, for hope.
This is Part 4 of our breakdown. Tomorrow, in Part 5, we look at the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) , NAWEC, GCAA, GAMTEL , and how their unpaid debts are dragging the entire nation down.
By Jallow Modou,Washington D,C,USA
