State Officials, MPs To Use Internet Calls As Treasury Scraps Benchmarking Trips

The National Treasury has scrapped off all state officials benchmarking trips in an effort to cut non-essetial spending.

In a memo signed by Acting National Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani, the move to cut on trips by state officials is aimed at improving spending discipline among State officers.

In the letter sent to all cabinet secretaries and all accounting officers handling state monies, the CS noted that the stringent measures will eventually be extended to counties.

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CS Yatani mentioned that the cuts will aid in maintaining expenditure pressures and the already high level of borrowing.

“The expenditure control measures outlined in this circular are aimed at enhancing prudent financial management by ensuring that we live within our means, create savings for the much-needed service delivery and foster fiscal responsibility,” he stated.

The memo captures the new measures which include budget cuts on travel, entertainment, training, publicity, office rent and car fuel bills, which cost taxpayers Ksh46.6 billion in the last financial year ending June 2019.

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According to him, the expenditure in the last financial year has gone up by 54.2 percent compared to Ksh30.2 billion in the previous year.

Yattani asserted that all benchmarking tours have been suspending until further notice adding that all domestic travels will now be on economy class.

Additionally, the CS has directed that the newspapers buying budget be cut to one-quarter of the current budget.

Furthermore, he told the ministries to cease using newspapers to market their activities and instead maximize using their various websites.