News / National
Zim travel agencies warned
03 Jul 2012 at 05:11hrs | Views
It has emerged that government is losing millions of dollars in its funded foreign trips to some travel agencies that are over-charging their services and air tickets, taking advantage of the lack of proper planning and accounting by government departments.
Following continued misunderstandings between government ministries and the Finance Minister, Tendai Biti over the unsustainable government travel bill amounting to US$45 million every year, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi said his Ministry has unearthed irregularities by some travel agencies which are overcharging their services and the tickets.
Mzembi gave the travel agencies a last warning to comply with the laws of travel business and desist from emergency ticket bookings that are costly.
Minister Mzembi said there is need to break the racket of such unethical practices where travel agencies take advantage of the lack of proper planning and accounting by government departments to make super profits at the expense of the taxes payers' money.
He said it is time government set up its own travel agency to cater for all government foreign travel.
Close sources revealed that recently one travel agency charged nearly US$8 000 for a ticket to Dubai.
The government travel bill, which has soured to US$45 million in travel expenses, has become a cause for concern in the last few years with the public calling for such funds to be channeled towards the country's economy and infrastructure development.
Following continued misunderstandings between government ministries and the Finance Minister, Tendai Biti over the unsustainable government travel bill amounting to US$45 million every year, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi said his Ministry has unearthed irregularities by some travel agencies which are overcharging their services and the tickets.
Mzembi gave the travel agencies a last warning to comply with the laws of travel business and desist from emergency ticket bookings that are costly.
Minister Mzembi said there is need to break the racket of such unethical practices where travel agencies take advantage of the lack of proper planning and accounting by government departments to make super profits at the expense of the taxes payers' money.
He said it is time government set up its own travel agency to cater for all government foreign travel.
Close sources revealed that recently one travel agency charged nearly US$8 000 for a ticket to Dubai.
The government travel bill, which has soured to US$45 million in travel expenses, has become a cause for concern in the last few years with the public calling for such funds to be channeled towards the country's economy and infrastructure development.
Source - zbc
