The Gambia provided 827.59 million dalasis in petrol and diesel subsidies between March and September 2026 to cushion price increases, Finance Minister Seedy Keita told the National Assembly in Banjul on Friday 23 October.
Diesel absorbed 785.13 million dalasis, or nearly 95% of the total, compared with 42.46 million for petrol. The figures cover support actually provided over seven months and are not appropriations planned for 2027.
Retail prices still rose 41.8% for diesel and 33.1% for petrol between March and September. Keita said the subsidies prevented the full increase in international prices from being passed on to motorists, transport operators and businesses.
Gambian inflation reached 6.5% in August before easing to 6.1% in September. Keita said the central bank would continue to monitor risks to prices and external stability.
The spending comes as domestic revenue reached 20.27 billion dalasis by the end of August, up 7.4% from a year earlier. Tax revenue stood at 17.87 billion dalasis but remained 1% below the target for the period.
Public support for energy prices also covers electricity. The government spent 2.4 billion dalasis on the power sector in 2025. Of the one billion allocated for 2026, 500 million had been disbursed when the budget speech was delivered, while another one billion is included in the 2027 draft budget for tariff compensation.