Finance Committee: The 2027 budget proposal for the Ministry of Fisheries rejected

The series of rejections continues in the National Assembly. After several other ministerial departments, the 2027 budget proposal for the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy was rejected by the deputies on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

The Finance and Budget Control Committee, expanded to include the Rural Development Committee, voted by a majority against the draft budget presented by Minister Amy Mara Dièye. For the 2027 fiscal year, the department's payment appropriations are set at 33.7 billion FCFA, compared to 32.5 billion in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 1.16 billion FCFA.

But this overall progress did not convince the parliamentarians. During the discussions, several concerns were raised, notably regarding the depletion of fish stocks and the need to strengthen the mechanisms for preserving, controlling, and monitoring fisheries.

The budgetary choices have also been subject to criticism. Members of Parliament have notably pointed out inconsistencies in the relationship between the initial budget law and the supplementary budget law, which was rejected by the National Assembly. The estimates of revenue and expenditure, as well as the lack of clarity in certain policy directions, have also raised questions.

Another point of contention: the absence of several documents deemed essential for parliamentary oversight. Members of Parliament deplored the failure to transmit the budget implementation law, the report from the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), the Forvis Mazars report, and the budget execution report.

The port of Ziguinchor loses nearly 1.7 billion

Parliamentarians also highlighted the significant decrease in funding allocated to certain key infrastructure projects. This is particularly true for the Ziguinchor port project, whose budget has been reduced from 2 billion FCFA in 2026 to just 276.2 million FCFA in 2027 – a reduction of nearly 1.72 billion FCFA.

The reduction in funding for patrol boats was also denounced. Members of Parliament further regretted the lack of budgetary transparency regarding inland fisheries within maritime security frameworks and the insufficient resources allocated to the Dakar-Thiaroye Oceanographic Research Centre (CRODT), particularly for the acquisition of a research vessel.

At the end of the discussions, the members of parliament finally voted, by a majority, against the 2027 budget proposal of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy.