23 Jul 2014

Parliament has been informed that the daily subsistence allowance or night out as commonly referred to is currently paid at a rate of P134.70 and not P129.50.

Answering a question in parliament, Assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri said this allowance cannot be equated to the daily imprest because there is no standard daily imprest rate.

He said the subsistence allowance is an attractive alternative to imprest as officers use it in areas where they have alternative accommodation at a lesser cost and where hotel accommodation is not available.

Minister Matlhabaphiri said the practice to introduce both the imprest and subsistence allowance cannot be termed as unfair because it gives officers a choice to either stay in hotels or opt to find their own accommodation.

Minister Matlhabaphiri was answering a question from MP for Nata Gweta Mr Rayner Makosha who asked the minister why the daily subsistence allowance of P129.50 is not equated to the daily imprest, whether he finds subsistence allowance an attractive alternative to imprest and why government decided to have such an unfair practice in place within the civil service.  ENDS