In a bid to curb expenses, the federal government has rolled out a stringent travel advisory affecting top-tier officials, including the president, prime minister, chief justice, services chiefs, and bureaucrats.
Effective immediately, the advisory mandates specific classes for air travel, categorizing officials based on their positions.
Cabinet Division said the president and the CJP will travel in ‘class-1’, whereas the PM, Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker, ministers, services chiefs, MNAs, federal secretaries, grade-22 officers, and ambassadors will travel in business class.
Other officers of the federal government, attached departments, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, and other institutions under the administrative control of various ministries/divisions will travel in economy class.
Obligatory Visits Only
According to the advisory, foreign travel of officers shall be allowed only in cases of obligatory visits and that too in the economy class.
This move comes as part of a new foreign travel policy aiming to rationalize overseas visits, instill austerity measures, and enforce accountability.
Key provisions of the policy include obtaining permission from an austerity committee for non-essential visits, providing comprehensive travel details to the Foreign Ministry, and a ban on simultaneous foreign trips by ministers and secretaries unless under unavoidable circumstances approved by the prime minister.
No Five Star Hotels
Additionally, the policy discourages stays in five-star hotels, prohibits support staff from accompanying government officers, and encourages teleconferencing as a viable alternative. Ministers, ministers of state, advisers, and assistants are limited to three foreign visits per year, with exceptions granted in special cases.
Furthermore, ministers are prohibited from traveling during National Assembly or Senate sessions, and all foreign visit details must be submitted to the Foreign Ministry within 15 days.
The guidelines also address diplomatic relations, mandating adherence to the ‘One China Policy’ for interactions with Taiwan and requiring special permission for contacts with Korea. Visiting India necessitates permission from the interior and foreign ministries.
Lastly, hosting foreign companies is discouraged, and visits by experts and consultants are permitted only during bilateral discussions.
