Premier Rugunda announces strict foreign travel measures for civil servants

Government has announced strict procedure for public officers on foreign travel to reduce its expenditure.

The new measures, according to Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, are in “the interest of government to see that excessive expenditure on travel abroad is greatly reduced and funds diverted to other national programmes.”

Last year, President Yoweri Museveni complained of the high expenditures in different ministries and agencies something that impacts on the remuneration of other civil servants.

As a result, the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), early December 2017, released a report on an investigation into government expenditure.

The report named State House, Parliament, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Office of the Prime Minister, and the Judiciary as the big spenders on travel with a cumulative sum of Shs183.5 billion basing on the budget of the financial 2016/2017.

Among the government agencies, the ISO report found the big spender on travel being; Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) , National Agricultural Research Organisation, Uganda National Bureau of Statistics, Uganda Revenue Authority , and Rural Electrification Agency with a cumulative sum of Shs45 billion.

In a January 16, 2018 circular and seen by Daily Monitor, Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda issued new directives aimed at restricting the clearance of public officers who travel abroad.

The authority for the same officers to purchase foreign exchange will also be restricted.

“As you are all aware, H.E the President has noted with great concern that a lot of Government expenditure is incurred on travel abroad by Public Officers, he further directed that this should stop. This is therefore to communicate to you the directive of H.E the President and to further guide on how the clearances for travel abroad will be handled henceforth,” Dr Rugunda’s letter reads in part.

The letter is addressed to Ministers and State Ministers is copied to the Vice President, First Deputy Prime Minister, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Chairpersons of Statutory Commissions, the Head of Public Service, the Auditor General, Inspector General of Government and all Permanent Secretaries.

Dr Rugunda has directed that instead of spending money on public officers to attend conferences abroad, the line ministries will be required to coordinate with the embassies and missions to represent Uganda.

“You are encouraged as much as possible to use our embassies and missions abroad to represent the interests of the country in the various conferences and meetings where Uganda is invited,” Dr Rugunda directs.

To ensure that the directive is practical, Dr Rugunda said that clearance for travel abroad and authority to purchase foreign currency will be restricted to only “essential travels”.

He also directed all ministries and agencies to file quarterly returns to his office about the cleared trips for their staff and the amount of foreign currency spent at the time.
The directives take immediate effect.
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