In a bold move to safeguard the nation’s finances during turbulent global times, President Adama Barrow has ordered the immediate suspension of all non-statutory official travel by public officials across government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The directive, issued by the Office of the President on Tuesday, comes in direct response to the escalating international conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The ongoing tensions have triggered severe disruptions to global supply chains, soaring prices for essential goods, and heightened pressure on foreign reserves and national budgets worldwide.
“These developments have placed increased strain on our limited resources,” the statement read. “Government must now adopt stringent fiscal measures and prioritize only the most critical expenditures in line with prudent public financial management.”
Under the new rules, all non-essential official travel—whether by air, land, or sea—is suspended with immediate effect and will remain in force until further notice. Only strictly statutory, unavoidable, and demonstrably essential travel will be permitted, and even then, only with prior written approval from the Office of the President.
Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Departments and Agencies, Executive Directors, Chief Executive Officers, Director Generals, Managing Directors, and General Managers have been tasked with rigorously scrutinizing every request. Travel delegations must be limited to the absolute minimum number of officials required.
To enforce the directive, the Director General of Immigration has been instructed to deny exit clearance to any public official attempting to travel on official duty without valid presidential authorization. Accounting Officers across government have been warned that any breach of this directive will be treated as misconduct and may result in serious administrative and disciplinary action under the Public Finance Act, Financial Regulations, and General Orders.
The government emphasized that the measure reflects its unwavering commitment to protecting public resources at a time when every dalasi must count. The suspension is expected to remain in place until the global economic outlook improves.
