National Assembly adopts new austerity measures

The National Assembly Secretariat has introduced additional austerity measures to reduce expenditures, with the new directives taking immediate effect, officials said on Tuesday. Under a notification issued by the secretariat, 50% of its employees will work from offices while the remaining 50% will work from home. Employees working remotely will be required to remain available through telephone, email and WhatsApp. The fuel allocation for official vehicles has been reduced by 50%, while the purchase of all types of new vehicles has been completely banned. The notification also calls for a 5% reduction in the non-ERE (non-employee-related expenses) budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The purchase of all types of durable goods has also been prohibited, except IT equipment. Meetings of the National Assembly Secretariat will be held through video conferencing, while standing committee meetings have also been encouraged to take place virtually. The notification directed the secretariat to keep the number of meetings to the minimum possible level. Foreign tours and official travel expenses have been banned for three months, subject to exceptions for essential official matters under the conditions outlined in the notification. The secretariat has also banned official dinners, except those hosted in honour of foreign delegations. Seminars, training programmes and conferences funded through government resources will also not be held under the austerity measures. The secretariat will adopt a paperless working environment as part of efforts to further reduce expenditure. Employees have also been directed to obtain permission from the competent authority before leaving their station. The notification said all the additional austerity measures would come into force immediately.

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