Concern over roaming bills by government officials

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The government says it plans to put in place measures to reign in the spending on roaming by approved officials.

Those government officials who now are accorded roaming privileges will be trained in the use of their smartphone so as to reduce the use of mobile data.

The exact amount spent by the state to cover roaming bills was not revealed but the government says the measure is to limit charges which could mount “up to thousands of dollars” if their phone’s data is not turned-off when they leave the jurisdiction.

This is the second time that the Cabinet has raised concern about roaming charges by government officials away on official business.

The move control the roaming charges is part of government e-government initiative which will also include an e-driven government bureaucracy. That ambition would also capture Cabinet’s minutes, Cabinet Notes, Cabinet decisions, and implementation of all Cabinet decisions. 

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6 COMMENTS

    • They don’t care. it’s not their money.
      When you give people per diem and say this amount is all you get and nothing else they make sure they even safe money when they travel. When you tell them well we will pay our bill when you get home, they stay on the phone talking to Tom Dick and Harry for hours, without any concern of cost.

  2. You right Duncy bat , when a foo dem personal phone dat bill pay outta foo dem packit you see how fast dem larn fe tun arf data and use wifi fe mek call

    But when a arwe a pay de bill oh dem need training …

  3. Why is it that the private sector is able to manage their employee spending on travel with effective policies but the government cannot?
    When the top slack the middle and the bottom will drop off.
    Why do you think the secretary of the Board of Education now has to answer about spending under her tenure? Policies and Procedure.
    Many times I have called out to the administration that they need to invite the accountants and the internal auditors especially of the SOC or SE to the cabinet or to a select committee of the cabinet to report on quarterly finances. Too often these professionals are being muscled. People have to understand the reality of the workplace. We hire and accountant to protect the purse. To advice us how the money is being spend. The ensure that their is not misappropriation of funds. But than we let the accountant report to the General Manager in whom we put all the trust of running the company. So in fact we have now eliminated the check on the GM The MBS inquiry should have taught us all these lesson. The accountant was totally expose to the rule of the minister and alike. If the minister says pay, you just pay was his defends. But the judge saw it different and found that he had a professional and fiduciary responsibility to report unauthorized spending. But when is it unauthorized when the minister tells you to do it. You will lose your job. And I speak to many accounting professionals these days who are on a daily basis struggling with this situation. They are powerless and do not want to lose their job. The government need to take this things serious. Accountants are your gate keepers to the purse. You are the shareholders. Don’t just trust management. Let the accountant have a direct reporting from time to time to the shareholders/board. When you do that you will see more will come to light. Not just the excessive phone bills. But the expensive phones and Ipads and you name it. People are not all that ethical when it comes to money for their own.

    • Does the PM or any MP get limited data on roaming or have to wait until they return from abroad to get per diem?

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