Government Clamps Down on Luxury Cars and Foreign Travel

The Government has introduced new cost-containment measures aimed at easing pressure on the National Budget and redirecting resources towards critical national priorities. The measures include strict controls on the acquisition of Government vehicles and tighter regulation of foreign trips .

The directive, outlined under the Expenditure Rationalisation pillar of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), aims to eliminate wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of public resource utilisation. Over the next five years, the Government will adopt firm measures to reduce unnecessary and non-essential expenditure, with luxury vehicles and frequent foreign travel identified as major cost drivers that place an unsustainable burden on the fiscus .

As part of the reforms, new guidelines will be developed to limit the acquisition of Government vehicles to those essential for national development. Similarly, foreign travel will be strictly regulated and authorised only when it directly contributes to national development priorities.

The measures are intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and responsible use of public funds, while promoting a culture of discipline across all levels of Government. By prioritising efficiency and eliminating wasteful spending, the Government aims to redirect savings towards programmes that improve the quality of life for Zimbabweans and support economic growth .

The expenditure reforms build on President Mnangagwa's earlier directive to Cabinet Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, in which he restricted unnecessary foreign travel and insisted that only trips aligned with Zimbabwe's national priorities and Vision 2030 would be sanctioned .