Presenting the mid-term budget review statement in Parliament on Tuesday, Biti said the figure was high considering major sectors such as education and health desperately needed money.
“Foreign travels are very high. During the fist six months of the year government spent $30 million on this. I have not even included that July figures,” he said.
“I appeal to the leadership of this country to viciously, strongly and boldly desist from unnecessary travel or reduce their entourage,” Biti said.
Biti said the government was in the process of drafting a Public Finances Management Bill in an effort to restrict official spending to manageable levels.
Economists have since said Zimbabwe’s president, prime minister and other top officials should stop attending unproductive meetings and conferences to cut foreign travel spending, as little of tangible benefit resulted from most trips abroad by officials last year.
They recommended that the Cabinet come up with a list of workshops and conferences to be attended by the president and his deputies, the prime minister and his deputies, Cabinet ministers and other state officials, which are likely to benefit Zimbabwe.
Some analyst said President Robert Mugabe should be the first to cut spending by cutting his entourage of 80, mainly security agents and Zanu (PF) functionaries.
Biti said about $1,6 billion lines of credit had been negotiated, and about $600 had been utilized.
Post published in: Business