Alhaji Mbowe called for a forensic audit of government agencies that generate their own revenue while receiving state funding in The Gambia. He identified these entities as institutions currently operating with a dual stream of income from internal generation and the national budget. The proposed audit seeks to track how these agencies manage their financial resources and state allocations. Alhaji Mbowe indicated that such an oversight process would provide clarity on the current fiscal health of these organizations. He argued that the practice of receiving state support alongside independent earnings requires greater transparency to ensure public funds are utilized effectively across the country.
Auditing Self-Sustaining Government Agencies
Alhaji Mbowe, National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum, stated, "I said this years ago. We must run this government as a business entity. If you don’t do that, you will always find it difficult." He noted that fiscal scrutiny must extend to the historical allocations within the national budget. Regarding these records, he said, "If you check for the past five, six years, go look at the budgets we have, every year, in the centralized budget, you will see areas that need to be paid." As an example of previous budget transparency, the budget line for the President's visits to communities was explicitly shown in the national budget during the 2018–2019 period.
Reflecting on the need for fiscal independence among state bodies, Alhaji Mbowe remarked, "There are certain institutions you cannot continue to subvent forever. It’s not going to work." He advocated for a review of internal agency earnings, adding, "Let’s interrogate the revenues that they receive, in addition to the subvention. And if they have enough, why do you continue to subvent? Get off, and let’s move to somewhere else." Data indicates that domestic revenue in The Gambia has risen significantly, increasing from D6.5 billion in 2014 to D40 billion in the 2027 budget.
Alhaji Mbowe proposed that the government prioritize high-yield investments to further improve this revenue trajectory. He suggested that if investing D2 billion in the Gambia Revenue Authority could yield D50 or D60 billion in revenue, the government should provide that funding.
Beyond fiscal reform, Alhaji Mbowe emphasized the necessity of targeted investment in infrastructure to support national development. The National Assembly committee recommended D12 million for the construction of science laboratories to support this goal. Criticizing the current lack of support for such initiatives, Alhaji Mbowe said, "We want to develop, but yet you don’t provide the necessities for that to happen in the sciences. It’s not going to work. It’s not magic."