The National Assembly Secretariat has begun implementing austerity measures in the wake of a surge in petroleum prices, introducing a new duty system under which half of its officers and staff will work from offices while the other 50% will work from home on a rotational basis.
According to the NA Secretariat, the new arrangements are being implemented under the austerity notification issued on September 18. Employees working from home will remain available by telephone, email and WhatsApp and may be called to the office at one hour's notice whenever required.
Under the notification, 50% of employees working from home will not be entitled to a diet allowance or overtime. Employees will also be prohibited from leaving their station without prior permission.
As part of the austerity measures, fuel allocations for official vehicles have been cut by 50%, with the reduction to remain in effect for three months. A complete ban has also been imposed on the purchase of all types of new vehicles.
The NA Secretariat has also decided to reduce its non-ERE budget by 5% on a monthly basis during the 2026-27 financial year.
Meetings will preferably be held through video conferencing, although intra-city meetings will remain exempt from the restriction. Standing committee meetings have also been encouraged to be held virtually.
Under the austerity policy, the number of meetings is to be kept at the minimum possible level until the situation returns to normal.
To implement the September 18 notification, the National Assembly Secretariat has also assigned duties to a number of officers, including additional secretaries, joint secretaries and director generals.
Under the instructions, officers will be permitted to call one subordinate officer and one staff member from their respective wing. Additional staff may also be called in when required, subject to approval from the relevant authorities.
Requests to call more than 50% of the staff will be subject to valid reasons and recommendations from the concerned authorities.
