Govt halts all foreign trips for officials

The government has imposed a ban on all manner of foreign trips for officials of ministries, government agencies, as well as autonomous, state-owned, and semi-government organisations.

The finance ministry issued a circular in this regard on Wednesday, adding that the officials will not be allowed to take any foreign trips until further notice. This limitation also covers foreign trips funded by the respective autonomous, state-owned, and semi-government entities.

However, officials planning to attend fully-funded Masters and PhD courses, specialised or professional training and seminars may be allowed to go on overseas trips under a limited capacity with express permission from respective authorities.

Earlier on May 12, the Finance Ministry issued a circular limiting non-essential overseas trips for bureaucrats.