Pak govt's austerity measures: Ban on purchase of vehicles, medical treatment abroad using state funds

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 7 : Pakistan's government imposed a "complete ban" on specific expenditures, including the purchase of new vehicles, machinery, and state-funded medical treatment abroad, a statement by the Finance Division stated, as per Dawn's report.
The notification, dated September 4, was accessed by Dawn on September 6. It stated that with respect to the new budget, select expenditures will be completely prohibited to ease the burden on the overstrained national treasury.
It said that a ban will be imposed on the "purchase of all types of vehicles, with the exception of operational vehicles, such as ambulances & other medically equipped vehicles, fire fighting vehicles, buses & vans for educational institutions, solid waste vehicles and motorbikes," Dawn reported.
The procurement of machinery and equipment, except those required for hospitals, laboratories, schools, and the agriculture and mining sector, will also be prohibited. The notification further said that there will be a complete ban on the formation of new governmental posts, including temporary ones, while posts lying vacant for three years will be abolished.
The notification stated that medical treatments in foreign countries using government funds will also be prohibited, while there will also be a ban on "non-obligatory visits abroad where GoP funding is involved," the notification added.
"All Ministries / Divisions are requested to disseminate the above instructions to all departments under their administrative control for strict compliance," it stated.
There would be a complete ban on the appointment of staff to federal universities and hospitals except for academic staff that would be hired on a lump sum remuneration package without any future liability on the federal exchequer, as per the report.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department in April this year banned the creation of posts, the purchase of vehicles, participation in foreign training programmes and workshops, and the holding of seminars in five-star hotels when they implemented austerity measures, Dawn reported.
The move came as the Pakistani budget drew flak for imposing high taxes and raising energy costs in its bid to secure a USD 7 billion economic bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without implementing effective and proportional expenditure control in the public sector, Dawn reported.