The government has announced the indefinite extension of the travel ban for senior public service officers in line with the austerity measures that have been put in place to attain fiscal stability and restore the economy.
Secretary to the Cabinet, Simon Miti announced in Lusaka that the 90-day travel ban, which was meant to expire mid-night today will continue until further notice.
Dr Miti said the extension of the travel ban is meant to enable the country remain on course in reducing government expenditure on travel and ensure that the scarce resources are directed to areas that benefit the citizens.
Dr Miti stated that senior government officers should utilize missions abroad for representation in international engagements but however, there will be exceptions in rare and convincing situations.
He called on all Permanent Secretaries and senior public service officers to support the austerity measure, which was introduced in June, this year, to attain fiscal stability and restore the growth of the country’s economy.
The Secretary to the Cabinet was speaking during the official opening of the Fourth Senior Public Service Management Meeting at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, which was attended by Permanent Secretaries and other Senior Public Service Officers.
Dr Miti further revealed that Cabinet Office has through the Remuneration Division started the review of mandates and streamlining of salaries and conditions of service for all statutory bodies and grant aided institutions.
He said the exercise is meant to bring normalcy to the sub-sector and secure the much needed but scarce resources to develop the country and provide quality services to the people.
Dr Miti noted that the Head of State and his administration expects all decisions of the cabinet are strictly adhered to by all without exceptions.
He said in view of the current economic situation, his office expects all government ministries and departments to focus on ‘managing for results, doing more with less.’
Dr Miti also implored Permanent Secretaries to leverage on every opportunity to create jobs for youths, 80 per cent of whom he said are unemployed.
And in a vote of thanks, Permanent Secretary in-charge of the Remuneration Division at Cabinet Office, Kashell Mwenya assured the Secretary to the Cabinet of total support from all the Permanent Secretaries in implementing cabinet decisions and the austerity measures.
Mr Mwenya said the Permanent Secretaries will ensure that they work closely with the new Secretary to the Cabinet to ensure that they run the civil service to the expectation of the appointing authority.
He said all the directives, the Secretary to the Cabinet has made in his inaugural speech to Permanent Secretaries, will be strictly followed and adhered to.
But there 46 government officials on the presidential trip to India.
Maybe Japan attracted 60 of them.
This travel ban clearly does not extend to the number one civil servant. So no one will take it seriously
This austerity for the Poor and Prosperity for ECL and PF Elites. Lungu should lead by Example and cut his Domestic and Foreign Trips. There is just too much Fiscal Profligacy in the President’s Office. With his newly acquired Gulf Streat Plane Lungu and his Colleagues are living large.
This will never achieve the intended results. You sanction a moratorium on travel and yet you leave corruption untouched. It’s only through addressing corruption that you can save the scarce resources.
It won’t be long before the finance minister is fired for stopping corrupt expenses. Soon you will hear trumped up charge’s the the minister is a UPND sympathyser.
I just looked up the PF/ECL dictionary with respect to the word “Austerity”
In the PF/ECL dictionary it means “steal as much as you can” or “take as much as you can”
pf are an embarrassment to themselves and they are an embarrassment to the whole world. They have no idea of how to govern. a lot of Zambians are ignorants , we have few people with wisdom, in that the ignorant can even elect a president, now just imagine what calibre could that leader be.
Well said No5
Another day. Another joke from the PF Gov’t.
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Jesus said if any part of your body facilitates a sinful act ,cut it off from your body.
Hon Cabinet Secretary Dr Miti, are the savings from those austerity measures meant to finance high level trips?
We we were told at a rally that austerity does not apply to high offices, and yet what we all know is that leaders are supposed to lead by example.
I HOPE DR. MITI IS NOT BEING REACTIVE INSTEAD OF BEING PROACTIVE. SOME TRIPS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT. SO A BLANKET BARN WILL NOT WORK ALSO. ITS NOT AUSTERITY BUT PRIORITY SETTING. JESUS DEMONSTRATED HUMILITY BY CLEANING THE DESCIPLES FEET. THE HEAD OF STATE COULD DEMONSTRATE ADHERENCE TO AUSTERITY MEASURES BY AVOIDING SOME TRIPS. PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH. DO NOT BE LIKE PHARISEES WHO WERE HYPOCRITS.
I guess our humble traveller in chief did not get the memo
P.F IS THE MOST USELESS PARTY ON PLANET EARTH.
Why not start with the Circus that follows ba Jona Whiskey to the airport, whenever the useless excuse for a President decides to skip the country, & run away from work & his wife on a weekly basis
Blah blah blah blah
Long overdue. Say till after next elections. This has been wastage by any means possible.
Disaster!!!
Bwahahahahahahahkikikikikiki
Yep, start with the coterie of pretenders that receive and off the Jing at the airport on his every trip big or small, long or short. I mean even day return trip will no different from a week long absence. I am glad there is someone who agrees with me, even the traffic and resultant economic disruption could be avoided simply by austerity measures on the pretenders and drum beaters. For an educated and learned person like our King, I wonder why tolerates the obvious economic waste. The messages that He delivers at airports can be delivered at a weekly or fortnightly press briefings at state house, yes, where pressman can ask questions and get clarification right there and then, not denials and clarifications when the masses have absorbed the worst interpretation.
Neez , bushe uli chipuba? We are not interested to hear about your daily dirty love hallucinations you experience when you make love with your uncultured spouse.Keep your sex dirty language off this fora and open up your own dating website with your wife. Istay in UK too and there is nothing special about marrying a white woman. You have just put your self in deep troubles. “Wali papa kalama” , if you did not know. There will be nothing for you to talk about should you decide to divorce . This girl probably loves you because of your money or your big manhood and not your Chimp appearance. Wake up man
The so called austerity measures to me is just a mockery. There’s no funding in these government ministries. So which funds are they trying to save?
Which austerity measures in place?
How many travelled to india and Japan?Do something for the people
Like bring down mealiemeal price,
Do something about loadshedding. With all these trips abroad can’t we
Come up with plans to better the
Living of a small Zambian population. Can t provide electricity
To small country like zambia?
why put a ban people whose allowances are small compared to ministers and and above? shouldn’t it be the other way around? PSs are technocrats who understand things from a point of know-how, you ban them and allow cadres instead