Govt spends US$6mil on foreign travel
by Staff Reporter
22/06/2010 00:00:00
THE ministry of Finance says government officials used nearly US$6 million on foreign travel in the first three months of the year which was however, remarkably lower than the US$30 million used over the comparable period last year.
In its first quarter treasury bulletin, the Finance Ministry said foreign travel costs for the period to March amounted to US$5.6 million which was about 1.4 percent of the government’s total expenditure over the same period.
“This demonstrates Government commitment (to) reducing foreign travel costs.
“If this expenditure pattern continues to be constrained, the expenditure pattern to the end of the year will remain under control and will free resources to other critical areas,” the Finance Ministry said.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti sparked a public outcry when he revealed last year that the coalition cabinet, including the principals, had spent US$30 million – about 5 percent of total government expenditure - on foreign travel.
Treasury was then forced to impose tough restrictions on the government’s travel budget after it emerged ministers were spending more on foreign trips than the government did on healthcare for civil service.
Biti said beginning January 2010 ministries’ foreign trips would be limited to “important and crucial meetings and conferences geared towards the promotion of national socio-economic recovery efforts”.
The coalition administration’s penchant for foreign travel has been sharply criticized by opposition parties who argue the money would be better spent on improving the country’s collapsed social service delivery system
“They have not done anything for the people but a lot for themselves. They spent so much travelling, criss-crossing the world at a time when the Harare Central Hospital needed and still needs US$403 000 for the operation theatre,” Simba Makoni, leader of Mavambo, Kusile Dawn (MKD) said recently.
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