Gov’t cuts travel expenses by 22% By ALDWIN R. FAJARDO

Overall actual travel expenses by the government exceeded its Fiscal Year 1999 allotment by a little over $1 million, although it dropped by 22 percent from $4.6 million in FY 1998 to $3.6 million, a report from the Office of the Governor showed.

According to the report, government-wide allotment for travel during the last fiscal year was $2.507 million while overall expenditures reached $3.605 million.

The executive branch managed to cut its travel expenses from $3.5 million in FY 1998 to $2.6 million last year, of which, 57 percent or at least $1.5 million was for medical referral.

However, the executive branch surpassed its $2.4 million allotment for the last fiscal year by more than $150,000. The judiciary minimized its travel expenses during the same period by close to $10,000, from $69,248 in FY 1998 to $59,730.

Due to dwindling revenues, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has banned all travels of all government officials on the first two months of his administration and restricted spending to only essential purchases and services.

The largest discrepancy between allotment and actual expenses was recorded in the travel spending by the Legislature, which exceeded its $13,866 FY 1999 allotment by more than half a million dollars.

The legislative branch spent $711,799 for travel during the last fiscal year. The figure is however lower than the FY 1998 tally which reached $733,923.

Finance Secretary Lucy Nielsen and some legislators have been at odds since last august last year after lawmakers accused the Department of Finance of being unreasonably strict in approving travel advances of the Legislature.

Some legislators claimed the DOF policy hampers the fulfillment of their official duties, despite explanation from Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio that existing guidelines require any government employee to submit a travel voucher immediately after making an overseas trip before new travel advances are issued.

Under existing rules, the finance department is prevented from issuing another travel advance unless previous travels by any particular government employee, legislators included, are accounted for.

The finance department has reported over $52 million in spending cuts during the FY-1999, as part of the governor’s plan to eliminate wasteful government spending.

The DOF disclosed significant reduction in overall spending on overtime, leased vehicles and travel compared with figures recorded during the previous year.

Overtime expenses have been reduced by 61 percent from FY-1998; professional services by 50 percent; communications by 32 percent; and leases and rentals by 29 percent from FY-1997.

The government is hoping to realize further cuts in expenditures through careful scrutiny of the vehicle and travel requirements of each department and other public offices.