No more 1st class tickets for ministers, others – FG

Ministers and permanent secretaries will no longer travel with first class tickets as part of the effort to cut costs by the present administration, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), has said.

Others that would no longer benefit from the first class are chairmen of federal government committees, as well as chairmen and chief executives of parastatals and agencies.

A statement from the Efficiency Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance made available to Daily Trust yesterday, said all the affected officials would now be restricted to the business class for their local and international travels as against what obtained in the past, where some government officials who should have been on business class, instead travelled first class, while many others travelled business class instead of the economy ticket.

The Efficiency Unit, which is the initiative of the current Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, set up to engender transparency and reduce government’s large expenditure in its negotiation for discounts with local and international airlines, also recommended other measures to the OSGF toward reducing government’s huge expenditure on travels.

The second recommendation bordered on the need to reduce the frequency of travels by ensuring that board and committee events, such as meetings, workshops and conferences in Nigeria are held in locations where the institutions or persons participating are domiciled.

Furthermore, such events should for the most part be held in Nigeria but where that is not possible, the prior approval of the Secretary to the Federal Government should be secured.

“In line with the present administration’s commitment to reform public expenditure, the OSGF accepted the recommendations in full and has accordingly issued a circular recently to effect the changes.