It’s official: public servants can’t spend taxpayers’ money on foreign tours

The government has issued a notice barring public servants from official overseas tours, a day after Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal revealed Sheikh Hasina’s decision as part of efforts to cut spending.

The finance ministry on Thursday ordered a halt on all sorts of overseas travel under operation and development budgets until further notice amid the recovery from COVID-19 pandemic and global volatility over conflicts.

The order covers all types of exposure visits, study tours, and travel for workshops or seminars.

After a meeting on Wednesday, Kamal faced questions from reporters on criticism of the government over officials making “unnecessary” foreign tours at the expense of taxpayers' money. It will also defer projects that are not urgent, he said.

“We’ve made a decision. These [the ‘needless’ tours] had been approved earlier. But the prime minister has said there'll be no unnecessary foreign trips. No one will go abroad without a special reason,” he said.