Government tightens foreign visit provisions for local level officials, employees

The government has tightened provisions on foreign visits by the office-bearers and employees of local levels. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, through a circular, urged the local level office-holders and employees to not go on foreign visit on their own without getting the approval from the bodies concerned.

It has directed the officials and the staffs of local bodies to go on foreign tour only on a need basis, saying the appropriateness of several programmes of foreign visits before this could not be justified. The Ministry has also instructed the District Coordination Officer and the Chief Administrative Officer of the local levels to not forward for approval the applications for foreign visits except in cases of high need and appropriate reason.

The circular called for taking into account the country’s present financial sensitivity and the crucial time of the termination of the current fiscal year and the formulation of budget for the next fiscal year before deciding on a foreign visit. It also warns that the Ministry will take action against anyone going on foreign visit, or any request letter forwarded to the Ministry for its approval if the authenticity of the same is not established and if it is based on fake documents.