Prime Minister calls for greater stringency in planning officials’ visits abroad

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan requested, at the beginning of today’s Government meeting, greater stringency and responsibility in planning officials’ visits abroad, in order to improve the efficiency of activities and costs.

The Prime Minister noted that requests for foreign travel ultimately reach him for approval and that some of them are not sufficiently well aligned with the Government’s priorities.

"Regarding foreign visits, I will be a bit more critical here. At the first Government meeting I strongly asked that we show more discernment in the trips we approve for ministers, secretaries of state, heads of directorates, and other officials. And since they still come to me for final approval, I must say that a series of requests continue to arrive that are not necessarily related to our priorities. I will not name names, but some approved state visits do not seem to me to be fully aligned," the Prime Minister said.

The official also presented a few examples that raised questions for him. According to Tofan, one request provided for a nine-day visit to India at the level of secretary of state. Another trip, also lasting nine days, was planned to Mongolia.

"I will give you just a few examples, without names. An approved visit to India, to an area where there are also beautiful beaches, for seven days, plus one day there and one day back, nine days in total, at the level of secretary of state. Another approval – a visit to Mongolia, again at the level of secretary of state, nine days in total. So I do not believe it is a good use of our time to be in Mongolia for nine days. An approved visit to Italy, which I consider an important matter, but the proposal was for two secretaries of state to go. I would think it is enough for one secretary of state to go and share all the information. There are many such examples, many destinations. I strongly ask you, including you, ministers, when you approve internal requests, to be a bit more critical both of the duration and of the destination, because we have a lot of work to do at home," said Vasile Tofan.

Vasile Tofan emphasized that foreign trips must be assessed not only in terms of their usefulness, but also in terms of their duration, the number of participants, and how they relate to the institutions’ activity priorities.