Malawian gov't restricts officials' travel abroad to save money

Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika has stopped principal secretaries (PSs) and senior civil servants from traveling abroad without the approval of their responsible ministers, Nation Online of Malawi reported Saturday.

"It has come to the notice of the president that most controlling officers and senior officers have resorted to undertaking excessive external travel," said Chief Secretary for the Public Service Charles Matabwa in a circular to all controlling officers.

"All controlling officers are, therefore, being directed to reduce these excessive trips and only undertake very essential external trips which have been approved by their responsible minister," reads the circular sourced by Weekend Nation.

Matabwa warned in the circular that disciplinary action will be taken against those who will contravene the directive .

But economic watchdogs, Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) said the president should also control his own external travel and that of his cabinet ministers.

Mejn Acting Executive Director Mabvuto Bamusi said his office also has noted excessive external travel on most budget lines, which is creating pressure on the budget, but he said the president should also control his own external and internal travel and that of his cabinet ministers and deputies.

Bamusi said external travel is one of the major pressure points that would have disturbed the proper implementation of the 2005- 2006 budget if left unchecked.

But he could not give figures on some of the budget lines that have overspent through external travel because he said the government departments are not willing to provide information when his organization is carrying out an exercise on the implementation of the budget.

Source: Xinhua