10 gov’t entities spent D3.5 billion in 4 months

A total of ten government entities have cumulatively spent over three billion dalasis from January to April 2018.
The staggering figures were contained in the 2018 total expenditure report by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.According to the report, the ten largest spending budget entities (BEs) are as follows:
Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs (MoFEA), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW), Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and Office of the President (OP).

 The report added that MoBSE, PEs paid to teachers, School Improvement Grant (SIG) and subvention to schools were the highest expenditure line items. MoHSW expenditure pattern was mainly driven by PEs and subvention to hospitals, whereas the subvention to various agencies like GRA, GPPA, SDF, GBoS and FLU and contribution to international organizations were the determining factors on the MoFEA budget.
The report further stated that Ministry of Interior expenditure was dominated by PEs, whilst travel expenses were one of the key drivers on the expenditure incurred by Office of The President.

Meanwhile, expenditure towards the security sector mainly ministry of Interior and ministry of Defense collectively reached D434.6 million during the period under review representing 10.8% of total expenditure of which 70.5% was towards PE.

In terms of absorption rates, five entities have surpassed the 40% mark namely: Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) with 109.47%, ministry of Youth and Sports with 52.34%, Ministry of Finance with 44.27%, pension and gratuities with 41.88%, ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with 41.32% whilst the ministry of Environment Climate Change and Wildlife (MoECCNAR) consumer just 9.24% of its budget.

By Kaddy Jawo, Standard.gm,  October 29th, 2018