Govt bans funded foreign trips, restricts vehicle buys

The government has extended restrictions on government-funded overseas travel for public officials in the ongoing fiscal year and tightened rules on the  purchase of official vehicles as part of efforts to reduce public expenditure.

The Finance Division issued a notification on Wednesday saying the measures are aimed at ensuring the proper use of limited public resources, bringing inflation to a tolerable level and maintaining macroeconomic stability.

Under the directive, government officials and employees will continue to be barred from attending seminars, symposiums and
workshops abroad at government expense.

The notification also imposes stricter controls on the purchase of vehicles under both development and operational budgets.
Only vehicles included in the approved Table of Organisation and Equipment (TO&E) that are more than 10 years old may be replaced, it said.

New government institutions will require prior approval from the Finance Division before purchasing TO&E-listed vehicles.

The Finance Division also instructed all government agencies to suspend expenditure from all types of block allocations.

Funding for the purchase of all categories of vehicles, including motor vehicles, watercraft and aircraft, has also been halted.

However, vehicles used for transporting personnel rather than for personal use may be replaced if they are more than a decade old.

Newly established government institutions may also procure such vehicles only with Finance Division approval.

The notification also states that, except for ambulances and vehicles used for security purposes, all replacement or newly purchased government cars and jeeps must be fully electric.

The government said the measures are intended to curb operational spending while supporting broader efforts to maintain fiscal discipline and economic stability.�"bdnews24