Claim: FOREX support given to private importers of food commodities is a third party, confidential information exempted by the Access to Information (ATI) law.
Source: The Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia, Buah Saidy
Verdict: FALSE
In the last three years (2022, 2023 and 2024), the Central Bank of the Gambia has supported a selected number of private businesses with dollars to be able to import, among other things, food products into the country.
It raised a number of questions, least among which is the transparency around their selection. Despite the repeated requests by journalists, the Central Bank of the Gambia refused to reveal the names of these business. Under the pressure of a parliamentary request, the minister of trade disclosed the names in March 2025.
Claim
In April 2025, the governor of the CBG told a popular broadcast journalist, Peter Gomez of West Coast Radio, that the information on the FOREX support given to businesses is a third party, and confidential information.
“The reason why some of your colleagues wrote to us to disclose those information— these are third party information. Even according to the (Access to) Information Act, you cannot disclose third party information ,” Buah Saidy, the governor of the bank said ( watch and listen from 36:58 mins).
“As a banker, if I disclose those information about your bank account in my bank to Sulayman, you will not like it. If Mr Mboge knows it, he will say I am not going to bank with Buah’s bank because there is no secrecy… We are willing to work with you (media), but certain things about banking are confidential especially if it is third party…”
Fact–check
The matters relating to confidentiality and information that fall under exempted categories are adequately addressed under Section 25 of the Access to Information (ATI) Act 2021 (downloadable here). These exemptions are trade secrets, intellectual property and anything that will hurt the financial interest of a third party. The information on the FOREX support given to private businesses does not fall under trade secrets, intellectual property and its revelation will not hurt the interest of the businesses. Meanwhile, the foreign exchange (US dollars) was paid from public resources and the public have a right to know who the beneficiaries are, and all details relating to it, according to the ATI Act.
Section 25 (2) specifically says that the requested information “shall not be refused” where the “information relates to expenditure of public funds” and the “disclosure of the information would facilitate accountability and transparency”.
Verdict: On the basis of the ATI Act 2021, information relating to “millions of dollars given to business entities from the Gambia’s foreign reserves to help them import essential goods into the country”, does not fall under information exempted from public disclosure.
Therefore, the Governor’s claim is FALSE.
