(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Patrick Manning has spent in excess of $1million on 32 foreign trips between January 2007 and March 31 this year.

This was revealed by Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira in a written response to a question on yesterday’s Senate Order Paper. The cost of the trips related to airfare, advanced allowances and hotel accommodation. The question was asked by Opposition Senator Wade Mark.

More than $1million was spent on trips to countries including Ethiopia, the US, Jamaica, Venezuela, Cuba, Uganda, Mexico, the UK, Brazil, Spain, Nicaragua, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

Manning’s visit to Ethiopia, Tanzania and Jamaica, from January 27, 2007 to February 7, 2007, cost $201,638.55. He went to Ethiopia to take part in an Ethiopian summit from January 29 to 30; paid an official visit to Tanzania from February 1 to 3 and took part in a joint meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CSME and external trade negotiations in Jamaica from February 5 to 6.

Manning’s visit to Uganda from November 20 to 27, 2008 for the last Common-wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from November 23 to 25, cost the state more than $174,000. In excess of $600,000 was used by Energy Minister Conrad Enill during the same period, the answer revealed. Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Lenny Saith spent more than $720,000 and Nunez-Tesheira, over the period March 2008 to March, this year, spent more than $368,000 in overseas travel. Tourism Minister Joseph Ross spent over $366,000 in foreign travel for the period March 2008 to March 2009.