Gambian President suspends foreign travels for government officials

Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has suspended all foreign travel by officials, including himself to reduce public spending, a government spokesman announced on August 19, 2023.

According to AFP, Barrow signed an executive order “suspending all overseas travels by the president, the V.P, cabinet ministers, senior government officials, civil servants & employees across all government institutions & agencies,” for the rest of the fiscal year, Presidential spokesman said in a statement.

Meetings, where Gambian participation is compulsory & foreign trips entirely financed by external sources, will be exempt.”

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The Gambia, continental Africa’s smallest country with just over 2 million inhabitants, ranks 174th out of 191 on the UN’s Human Development Index, which combines health, education & standard of living criteria.

More than a fifth of the population lives on less than two dollars a day according to the World Bank.