Eckstrom Compiles State Travel Report for Fiscal 2013

Nov. 7, 2013
For Immediate Release

Columbia, S.C. – S.C. Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom has released the State Travel Report giving details of every state agency’s travel spending for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013. Eckstrom’s office has compiled a similar report since 2004. 

The State Travel Report includes all travel-related expenditures, including any payments for conference registration fees, listing agencies that received money in the state’s 2013 budget. It separately identifies in-state from out-of-state travel for each agency. 

In an easily navigable format, the report discloses agencies’ total travel spending, ranking them from highest to lowest. It also lists the top 25 travelers in each agency ranked by the amount each individual spent. 

Eckstrom says the travel report serves a valuable purpose by informing the public and state leaders about an area of government spending that needs to be watched closely to ensure that travel is necessary and meets a valid purpose. 

“Even with all the new ways we have to communicate today, phone calls, emails and the Internet still can’t meet all of the needs for information sharing among government officials and employees, which sometimes makes travel necessary,” Eckstrom says. “But this is an area where agencies will serve the best interests of taxpayers by limiting travel to only the essentials.” 

The report can be downloaded from the Comptroller General’s Office website (http://www.cg.sc.gov/publications/Pages/travelreports.aspx). Travel reports dating back to fiscal 2004 are available at that link. 

For more information please contact Eric Ward, public information director, at 803-734-2538; 803-206-6293 or eward@cg.sc.gov.

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