Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over the weekend called for a ban on overseas travel by Members of Parliament and civil servants to save money for priority areas.
He made the remarks while commissioning facilities at Uganda Petroleum Institute-Kigumba where the country intends to train local experts in oil exploration.
The president also suggested a freeze on all allowances, according to the Daily Monitor news site.
A $3.5bn (£2.7m) crude oil pipeline that will connect Uganda's oil fields to a port in neighboring Tanzania has been opposed by climate activists. The two East African countries say their priority is economic development.