…Says New Measures To Eliminate Wasteful, Unnecessary Expenditure On Overheads
The Federal Government has banned the procurement and distribution of conference bags, T-shirts and other souvenirs at events organised and funded by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) such as conferences, workshops and seminars.
A statement signed by the Director (Information) Salsiu Na’Inna Dambatta, Federal Ministry of Finance stated that the measures was to eliminate wasteful and unnecessary expenditure on overheads such as on souvenirs and conference bags were luxuries at a time the when the resources of is lean and in the face of huge national infrastructural deficit.
According to the statement, “The directive is a recognition of the fact that in a period of lean financial resources in the face of huge national infrastructural deficit, wasteful and unnecessary expenditure on overheads such as on souvenirs and conference bags were luxuries that the government must eliminate to release funds for infrastructure and services such as health and education that would have direct positive impact on the wellbeing of the citizenry and promote economic development.”
Dambatta further stated that the directive also contains specific guidelines that would reduce the cost of printing invitation cards, programme of events, bochures, folders and note pads.
The guidelines according to him are that they should be in black and white and limited to only one page ,adding that in the case of brochures they should be streamlined to contain only essential information.
The new directive stated that the printing of “unnecessary publications and books of short shelf life which have no real value to the concerned public institutions or the citizens” and as a result was also banned by the Federal Government banned.
The Federal Government, the statement said recognises the need for the citizenry and other interested parties to be aware of the initiatives, activities and programmes being implemented by the government.
As a result the MDAs were directed by the Federal Government to save costs by uploading such publications on their websites, which have the added benefit of wider visibility and print only limited number of hard copies of such publications.
The new austerity measures were approved by the President, Muhammadu Buhari following recommendations by the Efficiency Unit of the Federal Ministry of Finance and conveyed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Ministers of Finance and Budget and National Planning, by the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, for implementation.
