Tanzania has banned government officials from sending Christmas and New Year cards paid for by public funds as part of cost-cutting measures introduced by the newly elected president.
President John Magufuli is nicknamed "The Bulldozer" for his no-nonsense, results-driven way of doing politics. He was elected in October as the East African country's new leader.
The president's chief secretary, Ombeni Yohana Sefue, issued a statement on Thursday that "prohibited the printing of Christmas and New Year cards at the government's expense".
"Anyone who wants to create or publish those cards, do so at his or her own expense," Sefue's statement said.
The public, which has long complained of government overspending, was quick to welcome the austerity measure imposed by the new president.
Social media hashtags such as #WhatWouldMagufuliDo have become top trending topics among Twitter and Facebook users in East Africa.
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