Expenses tightened for ministers, civil servants
Cabinet ministers cannot spend more than $700 in entertainment purposes and $250 for other expenses during their official trips abroad as the government has moved to consolidate its expenditures under development and revenue budgets.
If the expenses go up beyond the limit, the cabinet ministers would have to get it approved by the finance ministry.
It came as the finance ministry delegated financial powers in an order to ministries, divisions, departments, programme directors and coordinators as part of its move to properly implement programmes under the single budget.
The government has rolled out a process to execute various programmes under a single budget system to strengthen coordination in budget formulation processes and avoid duplication.
Currently, there is a difference in the delegated powers against various expenditure items under development and revenue budgets.
But as all expenses related to the implementation of various schemes under the single budget are consolidated, it is difficult to implement the programmes by using the existing delegated financial powers, the order said.
As a result, a new order delegating financial power is needed to implement the schemes under the single budget, the order said.
Under the single budget, ministries, divisions and departments run various regular, development and reform-oriented schemes for a specific period.
The new order said state and deputy ministers can spend $600 for entertainment purposes and $200 for other expenses during their official foreign tours, while the cabinet secretary, chief secretary, senior secretary, secretary and armed forces' officers with equivalent positions would be allowed to expend $500 for entertainment and $100 for other expenses.
During a programme, Tk 40 per person can be allocated in snacks bill. For lunch or dinner, it can be Tk 500 per person.
During training, workshops or seminars, Tk 300 per person can be allocated for lunch/dinner bills at the upazila level, Tk 400 at the district level and Tk 450 at the divisional level.
If the programme is for half-a-day, Tk 40 can be spent for an attendee and snacks can be offered twice if a programme runs for a whole day.
If any government agency awards more than Tk 10,000 to an employee for laborious work or extraordinary performance or twice a year, it has to take permission from the finance division.
The order said advance bills cannot be approved if 85 per cent of the previous advances are not adjusted. The advance has to be adjusted within two months of completion of a task or before 30 June.
No items can be procured in phases just to keep the purchase within the ceiling allowed.
The guidelines of development partners have to be followed where applicable. If the policies or procedures of development agencies are in disagreement with those of the latest order, those of the partners would have to be followed, the order said.
Permissions have to be taken from the finance ministry for the expenses that overshoot the approved allocation or if no budget has been specifically allocated for the expenditures in the budget.
Approval has to be taken if more than Tk 7 lakh is withdrawn in addition to permanent advance.
If loans or advances given to government employees and accrued interest are waived, the concerned agencies have to seek permission from the finance division.
Similarly, consent has to be obtained if unrealised losses of more than Tk 5 lakh caused by forgery, negligence and other reasons receive any waiver.
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