KAMPALA–The Cabinet has approved the change of practice on clearance of public officers for foreign trips.
In its sitting Friday Cabinet resolved that it will be the responsibility of the Prime Minister to clear the Ministers Ministers of State Specified Officers, Head of Public Service, Deputy Head of Public Service, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Administrative Officers.
For other public servants below the position of permanent secretaries and CAOs, it will be the responsibility of the respective minister.
Frank Tumwebaze, the cabinet spokesperson and ICT minister, said the current practice has been that all travels abroad would be cleared by the prime minister.
“The change of practice is premised on the need to reduce the workload of the prime minister and to enable ministers to take full charge of the affairs of their ministries and, therefore, be accountable as political heads,” Tumwebaze said.
“he measure is also intended to reduce on the cost of travels abroad through rationalisation of trips of abroad at any given time,” he added.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Premier Ruhakana Rugunda, also approved the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) of 2017/18 -2021/2022.
The strategy, Tumwebaze said, will operationalise the policy on export promotion and coordinate all efforts of different ministries.
The ministers responsible were directed to undertake sectoral budget re-prioritisation in context of the NEDS implementation with a view to focusing existing resources on implementing the NEDS.
