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The Ministry of Finance has commenced the FY2026 Bilateral Budget discussions with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie urging them to adopt innovative approaches to financing their budgets.
The discussions, which opened last Thursday, are meant to align MDAs’ proposals with the theme and policy direction of the recently concluded National Policy Hearing on enhancing traditional and innovative domestic revenue sources to finance the government’s Big Five Game Changer Agenda.
Agriculture Ministry Leads with “Feed Salone”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security was among the first to present, submitting a budget estimate of NLe115,548,100 for FY2026.
Chief Agriculturist Professor Abdulai Jalloh highlighted ongoing progress under the Feed Salone Program, including:
1. Planting 23,437 hectares of rice across the country.
2. Developing 4,500 hectares of irrigation infrastructure.
3. Distribution of 200 rice mills, 142 threshers, and 144 combine harvesters nationwide.
4. Training 174 youths as tractor operators, drone/GIS specialists, and farm mechanics.
5. Cultivating 24,295 hectares of boliland and riverine areas in 15 districts.
He said the program, anchored on six strategic pillars, seeks to increase productivity, expand rice production hubs in areas such as Ketchum, Mambolo, and Tomabom, and boost value addition.
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) presented a budget request of NLe1,422,435.70 for the FY2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
The deputy director, John Ansumana reviewed key achievements between 2024 and 2025, including the recruitment of 2,198 teachers, equipping schools with science laboratories, ending the double-shift system, connecting 42 schools to the internet through the GIGA Project, integrating 2,000 out-of-school girls, and expanding the school feeding programme to 15 districts.
Looking ahead, he said the Ministry plans to:
1.Provide teaching and learning materials to 10,827 schools.
2. Expand the school feeding programme to one million pupils.
3. Connect 500 schools to solar mini-grids and internet for digital literacy.
4. Provide furniture to eliminate double-shift learning in 100 schools.
The bilateral budget discussions will continue until September 27, 2025, with civil society, district oversight committees, non-state actors, and the media taking part in reviewing MDAs’ submissions.
Source: ministry of finance
