Government Clamps Down on Luxury Car Purchases and Foreign Travel to Ease Budget Pressure
The Government has signalled a major shift in how public money is spent, moving to rein in the purchase of luxury vehicles and cut back on frequent foreign travel by officials in a bid to ease pressure on the national purse.
The directive falls under the Expenditure Rationalisation pillar of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
It is aimed at freeing up resources for priority sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure and social services.
Luxury Vehicles and Travel Flagged as Major Cost Drivers
According to The Herald, over the next five years, authorities plan to tighten fiscal discipline by reducing non-essential expenditure, with luxury vehicles and frequent foreign trips identified as major contributors to wasteful spending.
“During NDS2, Government will adopt measures to reduce unnecessary and wasteful public expenditure through significantly curtailing spending on non-essential items such as procurement of luxury vehicles and excessive foreign travel by Government officials,” reads the policy document.
Officials say such spending places an unsustainable burden on the fiscus and diverts funds away from critical national needs.
Strict Guidelines for Vehicle Procurement and Foreign Trips
As part of the reforms, the Government will introduce new guidelines limiting the acquisition of vehicles to those strictly required for service delivery and national development.
“Strict guidelines will be implemented to limit the acquisition of Government vehicles to only those essential for service delivery,” the document states.
Foreign travel will also face tighter controls, with trips to be authorised only when they directly contribute to national development priorities.
Redirecting Savings to Priority Sectors
The measures are expected to enhance transparency, accountability and responsible use of public funds, while fostering a culture of discipline across all levels of Government.
Savings generated through the reforms will be redirected towards programmes that improve the quality of life for Zimbabweans and support inclusive economic growth.
“By prioritising efficiency and eliminating wasteful spending, Government aims to redirect savings towards programmes that directly benefit the people of Zimbabwe,” reads the NDS2.
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