President Adama Barrow came under severe criticisms last week after the finance minister Mamburay Njie revealed Government has spent D239 million on travels and payment of per diems from January to July 2018.
In a letter dated September 26, the finance ministry said Government has placed a temporary ban on all foreign trips by officials effective October 1.
The ban, which affects all Government funded trips except for essential statutory meetings, also applies to all Non-Subvented Agencies, State Owned Enterprises and Central Bank of the Gambia.
“This is necessitated by the overall fiscal slippages on travels and ensure expenses are within the overall travel expenditure ceiling of the 2018 budget as approved by the National Assembly. The measure is needed to free up spending for social services such as education, health and to engender economic growth and macroeconomic stability,” stated a press release
“This expanded scope will improve the financial position of all the relevant institutions to enable them to pay statutory tax payments and potential dividends to Government, where applicable.”
Lamin Camara, the deputy permanent secretary at the Finance Ministry, told Kerr Fatou that all out of budget travels for Government officials that are at a cost of foreign or international organizations are not subjected to the ban.
“The intention is just to minimize unnecessary travels and make sure all travels are based on relevance…,” said Camara.
President Adama Barrow came under severe criticisms last week after the finance minister Mamburay Njie revealed Government has spent D239 million on travels and payment of per diems from January to July 2018.
Gambians say that was a hallmark of fiscal indiscipline from a Government that promised to cut public expenditure.