Vice President Tables Bill To Secure Funding For SSR Process

The Gambia’s Vice President, Muhammed BS Jallow, has on Tuesday 17th March 2026, tabled a bill entitled the National Security Council Amendment Bill 2026.

The amongst others aims to secure financing for the Security Sector Reform Process (SSR), and to provide clear and enforceable legal framework for financing security sector reform process and operations of the National Security Sector Joint Operations Fund.

Tabling the bill, the Vice President told parliament “The overarching objective of this Bill is to secure predictive, predictable, and sustainable financing for the SSR process, thereby strengthening national security institutions, enhance public safety, fostering citizen confidence in the government, and promote economic growth through a sustainable security environment”.

The Bill, he added seeks to amend the National Security Council Act 2025 in order to provide a clear and enforceable legal framework for financing the security sector reform process and operations of the National Security Sector Joint Operations Fund.

He indicated that a significant progress has been made in the implementation of the SSR in The Gambia, particularly through the enactment of the National Security Council Act 2025.

He recalled that the Act established the National Security Council and the Office of National Security and defined their roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms, and it marked a major milestone in strengthening democratic oversight, accountability, and strategic decision-making within the national security architecture.
However, he decried “despite these achievements, the reform process continues to face structural and resource-related constraints due to inadequate financing, with most of the SSR activities heavily dependent on external donor support”.
The Act he said emphasizes the creation of alternative funding sources through the National Security Sector Joint Operations Fund.

Unfortunately, he said the legislative gaps in Section 22 of the Act has rendered the financing provisions unenforceable as a tax instrument. In particular, the levy on insurance premiums conflicts with the Income and Value-Added Tax Act, and the reference to a security levy on import duty is legally untenable because it does not exist under any extant legislation.

“The Bill, therefore, intends to repeal and replace the existing financing provision with a single legally established national security levy,” VP Jallow told lawmakers.

He also stated that the levy is imposed at 1.5% of the cost, insurance, and freight value of all goods imported in the Gambia.

He added “This Bill further introduces new Sections 22a and 22b to provide for the imposition, administration, collection, and enforcement of the national security levy. The Gambia Revenue
Authority will collect the levy and subsequently pay it into the National Security Sector Joint Operations Fund”.

This amendment, he said will ensure that the fund is robustly financed through a sustainable domestic revenue mechanism, thereby reducing over-reliance on external donors, enhance national ownership, and enable long-term planning for logistics, infrastructure, and training programs in the security sector. It will also strengthen accountability by aligning enforcement with existing tax laws and provide penalties for non-compliance.

Earlier, the Speaker Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, informed the assembly that the President of the Republic has issued a Certificate of Urgency under Section 101 of the 1997 Constitution for the National Security Council Amendment Bill 2026 to be considered by the Assembly as an urgent important matter of state.

“A copy of the Certificate has been circulated to you all for your information,” he informed the members.

He thus put the certificate, for the members to either accept or otherwise without debate of the certificate of urgency on the bill.

After the certificate was put to vote, members unanimously accept the certificate of urgency on the bill, meaning that the parliament will sit to finish all the legislative processes of the bill, for it to be passed.
At press time yesterday, the assemy completed the consideration of the bill, and was subsequently passed.