ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division is said to have been authorised to update lists of “obligatory” foreign visits to avoid expenditure on unnecessary visits, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
The caretaker federal cabinet on March 2, 2024, considered the summary titled, “Instructions on visits abroad and list of obligatory visits” submitted by the Cabinet Division and inter-alia decided that the Cabinet Division may be authorised to update the lists of obligatory visits in consultation with the concerned ministry/ division within a period of four months, and to issue the updated instructions on visits abroad.
In the case of visits not classified as obligatory, the Austerity Committee constituted by the Ministry of Finance through a notification of February 20, 2024, including successor Austerity Committees, may be authorised to grant exemptions from the prohibition imposed by the Federal Cabinet on non-obligatory visits, as contained in its directions of February 22, 2023, and notified vide Cabinet Division’s Office Memorandum (OM) of February 28, 2023.
PM bars ministers, advisors from making foreign visits
According to sources, consolidated instructions based on the decisions taken by the federal cabinet on October 18, 2018, (already circulated), February 22, 2023 (already circulated), and March 02, 2024 (instant decisions) shall be issued shortly.
The Cabinet Division has also issued instructions to all the ministries titled “return of official vehicles allocated for the use of caretaker federal ministers/ SAsPM/ Advisors”, saying that consequent upon the swearing in the newly-elected prime minister on March 4, 2024, the caretaker federal cabinet is ceased to exist. Therefore, official vehicles allocated to the caretaker federal ministers/ SAsPM/ advisors be retrieved immediately. Almost all the members of the caretaker federal cabinet have returned vehicles allocated to them by the Cabinet Division.
Last month, the federal government had also approved a number of austerity measures to stop unnecessary utilisation of public funds, including purchase of new cars, and creation of news posts under PSDP 2023-24, as the formation of the new government in Centre and provinces is days away.
According to the Finance Division’s Expenditure Wing, it has been directed to convey that to ensure prudent utilisation of public money, caretaker prime minister approved the following austerity measures for financial year 2023-24 with the immediate effect: (i) there shall be a complete ban on purchase of machinery and equipment from current budget, except for medical machinery/ equipment; (ii) there shall be a complete ban on purchase of all vehicles except ambulance, buses for educational institutions, solid waste vehicles, tractors, fire-fighting vehicles, motor bikes; and (iii) there shall be ban on creation of new posts under PSDP/ current budget during financial year 2023-24.
The caretaker prime minister has also constituted Austerity Committee comprising the caretaker finance minister (chairperson), secretary finance (member), secretary Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (member), secretary interior (member), special secretary Cabinet (member), and additional finance secretary (expenditure).
The Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the Committee will be as follows: (i) to periodically review and ensure implementation of austerity measures for financial year 2023-24; and (ii) to approve proposals for relaxation from the austerity measures on a case-to-case basis.
On February 28, 2023, the federal cabinet, in its meeting on February 22, 2023, inter-alia approved the following austerity measures: (i) foreign travel of officers shall be allowed only on obligatory visits and in economy class. No support staff shall be allowed to accompany; (ii) Officers on visit abroad shall not stay in five-star hotels; (iii) official vehicles in use of ministries/ divisions of the federal government shall stand withdrawn from those senior officers who are already availing benefit of car monetisation. Action shall be taken against misuse of officials vehicles; (iv) no luxury vehicles shall be allowed for use of cabinet members, public functionaries, and government officers; and (v) Tele-conferencing shall be promoted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024