Funds saved from international travel reductions should be redirected towards the fight against youth unemployment through job creation, internships, vocational training, mentorship programs and entrepreneurship support.
This was proposed by the Prosperity Revolution (RFP) Members (MPs) of the Parliament (MPs) of Matara Constituency, Matara Constituency, amid a heated debate on Monday regarding the 2025/2026 National Budget.
Several lawmakers have called for the government to curb the vast budgets for international travel.
But they also say that budget cuts for international travel aren’t merely about cost reductions, they should be reassigned to programs that deal with the country’s surge in unemployment crisis.
A report submitted by the Portfolio Committee on Portfolio Economic Development Clusters on March 10, 2025 recommended a 50% reduction in government-funded international travel, with the exception of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, and the Parliament.
Dr. Morok agreed that international travel by government officials consumed a significant portion of the domestic budget, but had little benefit to the country. He noticed that these travel expenses increase annually for daily and other allowances.
“While working for various portfolio committees, I realized that international travel budgets were growing incredibly,” Dr. Moroke said.
“In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, there was a 102% increase. This is a concern. It has risen 72% this fiscal year.”
He said ministries should prioritize domestic efforts to improve service delivery rather than frequent international travel.
Democrat Congress (DC) MP Thabiso Lekitla of Mekaling Constituency questioned whether business class travel should be eliminated, leaving staff with only economic class tickets. Dr. Moroke said that even if the minister travels in economy class, it would not interfere with their work and would reinforce his claim that international travel is a financial burden with minimal benefits.
“It’s time to see actual service delivery in this country. Many ministries have large projects that rely on government funding, but instead of development, they have a substantial amount of money allocated to travel,” Dr. Moroke said.
Moeketsi Motšoane, the RFP MP for Matefeng Constituency, supported Dr. Moroke’s allegation, arguing that some of the funds saved from travel cuts should be redirected to ministries struggling with budget shortages.
“We need to understand that government travel is all important for enforcement, parliament or judicial purposes, but we have to make sacrifices. Some of these funds should be allocated to ministries with minimum budgets so that they can carry out the mandate,” Motšoane said.
Machesetsa Mofomobe, leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP), laughed at the rationale behind some government trips, questioning the need for official visits to benchmark tasks with as little things as the practices of sweeping streets in other countries.
“Do you need to travel abroad just to study how other countries clean up the streets? Does it guarantee official travel?” he asked.
Motšoane, reflecting Mofomobe’s sentiment, said the government should develop its own strategy, rather than travel frequently to travel the ways of other countries.
“We have to create our own solutions that other countries can come to the benchmark,” he said. “Minists need to cut international travel by 50%.”
Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) leader Mothetjoa Metsing has introduced an alternative fix. He argued that some ministries should not significantly increase their travel budgets and should not be punished unfairly.
“Implementing 50% cuts on blankets would unfairly affect some ministries that have not significantly increased their international travel budget,” Metsing said.
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“Instead, reductions should rely on the legal duties and budget allocations of each department.”
Metting suggested that the minister should justify international travel needs before the Parliament during the supply committee discussion.
“The minister should come and explain the statutory meeting. For example, the Minister of Tourism has indicated that his ministry will not allocate funds for international travel. Therefore, it is important to evaluate each ministry individually.”
He said the major ministries that should prioritize budget allocations for job creation include ministries dealing with agriculture, food security, manufacturing, trade, finance and diplomacy.
“The manufacturing sector is labor-intensive rather than capital-intensive. One factory can employ up to 3,000 people. Some ministries, such as trade and foreign affairs, travel abroad to attract investors. These should be considered carefully.”
