Official trip to Mongolia goes ahead despite spending warning
Despite calls by Vasile Tofan to save public money and, in particular, reduce officials’ foreign travel, three representatives have left on an official trip to Mongolia. The 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) is being held there from 17 to 28 August.
Several days earlier, while discussing officials travelling at state expense, Tofan specifically cited this trip as an example of spending that could be reduced.
“I don’t think it is a good use of our time to be in Mongolia for nine days. It takes a very long time to get there,” he said.
He suggested that Moldova could instead send a single state secretary to Ulaanbaatar, who could later share the information and contacts obtained at the conference.
That proposal was not followed. Three officials are taking part in the official trip to Mongolia: Director of the Directorate for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring Mircea Panciuc, Head of the Hydrological Monitoring Department and Deputy National UNCCD Coordinator Alena Isac, and UPSC Vice-Rector for Research Tudor Castraveț.
Eleven days devoted to land degradation and drought resilience
Over 11 days, the three participants are expected to discuss how Moldova is addressing land degradation and improving resilience to drought. The subject is relevant for the country, although the article argues that Moldova has relatively little to showcase in this area or to offer other participants as an example.
The official trip to Mongolia will also give the delegation an opportunity to take part in the wider programme prepared for conference guests, alongside the formal discussions. The source contrasts the cost of such travel with the government’s repeated calls for savings and continuing disputes over funding for teachers.
The episode highlights a gap between Tofan’s public call to restrict foreign trips and the decision to send three representatives to Mongolia rather than the single official he had proposed.
