First it was Facebook, now it’s excessive phone calls.
The Interior Ministry has issued a directive to all officials and employees banning phone calls, especially long distance ones, due to mounting phone bills.
Interior deputy permanent secretary Pracha Terat signed the order on Aug 31 and had the memo sent to all of the ministry’s agencies.
According to the directive, the heads of the different ministry’s will be responsible for keeping phone expenses in their office at an appropriate level.
The order also stated that long distance phone calls will be allowed only for pressing state matters. The numbers and destination of each call will have to be recorded and sent to their immediate superior for verification. A log on all personal international phone calls must also be kept and audited by ministry officials as per the Finance Ministry’s regulations.
Earlier last week, the Interior ministry banned officials from using Facebook during office hours. MInistry officials will only be allowed to access the social networking site during their noon break. Other sites offering audio-visual downloads will also be blocked due to internet bandwith issues.
Officials believe that these directives will not only help in cutting down expenses in cash-strapped agencies but also increase work efficiency and productivity, the Bangkok Post reported.
