The Hanoi People’s Committee has asked officials at all levels to restrict overseas business trips from now to the end of 2010 to save money.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao.

According to an urgent dispatch signed by Hanoi Chairman Nguyen The Thao, Hanoi officials are requested not to go abroad except in emergencies or on trips approved by the city and the Government.

The dispatch said that, despite the city’s guidance on reducing meetings and overseas business trips in 2009, agencies still organized many impractical overseas trips since May 2009 that were not on the yearly schedule and wasted time and money.

Chairman Thao asked the Hanoi Department of Foreign Affairs to finalise overseas trips’ statistics for all government agencies from May 1, 2009 until now. All delegations without trip reports will be critcised and fined.

VietNamNet/VTC