Trade ministry cancels paper subscriptions
Civil servants employed by the ministry of industrialisation and trade will have to buy their own newspapers from now on.
A directive issued by permanent secretary Gabriel Sinimbo informed ministry staff that newspapers would no longer be provided after 1 April.
This is in line with wide-ranging spending cuts ordered by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila recently.
The move affects all newspaper brands, including Republike in, Namibian Sun, The Namibian, Confidente, Southern Times, New Era and Windhoek Observer.
“In response to that directive, allow this letter therefore to constitute the official communication from the ministry of industrialisation and trade that we are cancelling our subscription contracts with your respective newspapers effective from 1 April 2018,” Sinimbo wrote in a letter addressed to the editors of these publications.
The cutback will not affect the minister, his deputy or the permanent secretary.
“It is further worth nothing that the cancellation is only applicable to the staff members, but you are still expected to supply newspapers to the offices of the minister, deputy minister and the permanent secretary respectively,” Sinimbo wrote.
In a memo sent out on the suggested expenditure cuts, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila raised the issue of newspaper purchases by government ministries, offices and agencies.
“The purchasing of newspapers for staff members at the expense of government should stop with effect from 1 April 2018,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila's memo read.
It remains to be seen when other ministries, government offices and agencies plan to follow suit.
OGONE TLHAGE
A directive issued by permanent secretary Gabriel Sinimbo informed ministry staff that newspapers would no longer be provided after 1 April.
This is in line with wide-ranging spending cuts ordered by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila recently.
The move affects all newspaper brands, including Republike in, Namibian Sun, The Namibian, Confidente, Southern Times, New Era and Windhoek Observer.
“In response to that directive, allow this letter therefore to constitute the official communication from the ministry of industrialisation and trade that we are cancelling our subscription contracts with your respective newspapers effective from 1 April 2018,” Sinimbo wrote in a letter addressed to the editors of these publications.
The cutback will not affect the minister, his deputy or the permanent secretary.
“It is further worth nothing that the cancellation is only applicable to the staff members, but you are still expected to supply newspapers to the offices of the minister, deputy minister and the permanent secretary respectively,” Sinimbo wrote.
In a memo sent out on the suggested expenditure cuts, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila raised the issue of newspaper purchases by government ministries, offices and agencies.
“The purchasing of newspapers for staff members at the expense of government should stop with effect from 1 April 2018,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila's memo read.
It remains to be seen when other ministries, government offices and agencies plan to follow suit.
OGONE TLHAGE
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