Govt Sends NA, Senate Staff Home

The National Assembly and Senate secretariats have introduced a series of austerity measures, including work from home arrangements, cuts in fuel use and a ban on purchasing new vehicles.

Under the new measures, half of National Assembly Secretariat employees will work from home, while Senate Secretariat employees will be allowed to work from home only on Fridays. Attendance at Senate offices will remain mandatory from Monday through Thursday.

Employees working from home will not receive daily allowances or overtime payments, according to the notification.

The measures also include a 50 percent reduction in fuel consumption for government vehicles and a complete ban on official events.

The Senate and National Assembly secretariats have also banned the purchase of new vehicles and ordered a 5 percent reduction in non development spending. Expenses will be reviewed and reduced on a monthly basis.

The secretariats have also banned the purchase of all durable goods except IT equipment. All official foreign trips will be suspended for three months, while official dinners will also be prohibited except those held for foreign delegations.