Govt downsizes travel

…to reduce expenditures on local and foreign travel

GOVERNMNET will soon issue new travel guidelines that will down size the number of travels and the size of delegations aimed at reducing expenditure related to both local and foreign travel and workshops.

Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe said President Edgar Lungu had directed Secretary to the Cabinet to immediately issue new guidelines to that effect as a measure to curb high expenditure.

Ms. Mwanakatwe further said President Lungu had also directed the Ministry of Works and Supply to finalise the policy aimed at disposing of Government vehicles in order to reduce on Government expenditure on running the fleet.

“To cut down on the cost of running government by reducing expenditures related to both local and foreign travel, and workshops, the secretary to the cabinet has been directed by the president to immediately issue new travel guidelines that will reduce the number of travels and the size of delegations.

“The Ministry of Works and Supply will finalise the policy on government vehicles with the view to have them disposed of. This will reduce expenditures on running the government fleet. In order to control the high expenditure on personal emoluments, recruitments will strictly be limited to the provisions of the 2018 budget,” Ms. Mwanakatwe.

She also said that the management of the payroll will be moved to the Ministry of Finance by the end of June 2018 to ensure separation of duties in order to enhance the authenticity of entries on the payroll, address payment of wrong allowances and ghost workers.

She also said President Lungu directed that a committee to scrutinise the quality of expenditure in ministries should be set up under the Ministry of Finance adding that the committee will allow Government to take remedial measures on unnecessary expenditures for the rest of 2018.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) was directed to look into the portfolio of stateowned companies. She further said the Ministry of National Development Planning will establish a multi-sectoral public investment board to scrutinise capital expenditure requests prior to submitting to Cabinet