PM restricts overseas trips for officials

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has requested that officials, particularly leaders of ministries, agencies and localities to minimise overseas business trips to concentrate on dealing with their assigned tasks.

According to the Government Circular issued on November 1, leaders are also urged to stringently control their agencies’ overseas trip activities. According to the circular, officials should only make trips abroad if they are absolutely necessary.

The Government leader’s move is aimed to boost savings in the State budget so as to focus on socio-economic difficulties internally.

Previously, the Minister of Finance, Vuong Dinh Hue, announced that State budget revenues were expected to be lower through 2013 in order to insure salary increases for Government employees.

The Government also plans to cut back public investment from  VND180 trillion (USD8.57 billion) to VND170 trillion (USD8.1 billion).

They are also seeking the approval of the National Assembly to raise the minimum wage for Government employees. This plan will cost about VND20.7 trillion (USD1.03 billion), and would begin from July 2013.