By Nemo Yalo
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Determinations approved by the National Parliament in 2015 provides for public office holders duty travel allowances within PNG and overseas. It spells out the approving authorities and who pays for travel allowances.
The SRC Determination EL2015-12 provides for duty travel within the country. For a State Minister his or her department is responsible to meet the costs. The appropriate administering authority (departments) shall meet the necessary accommodation costs by payment of cheque. A cheque to cover the cost of “accommodation only” and a daily allowance of K220 from which Leaders will meet the cost of all meals, beverages, laundry, telephone and incidentals.
Spouses travel: From time to time it will be both desirable and necessary for a spouse to accompany a Leader on official duty travel within PNG. The Prime Minister will determine the necessity for his Ministers to be accompanied by their spouses. Spouses travel would not be more frequent than twice in every period of 12 months and would not expect any duty trip to be of greater duration than three days or 6 days in 12 months. The sole exception being the Prime Minister. Spouses are entitled to daily allowance of K150 to cover all other expenses including meals, beverages, laundry, and telephone charges. However there is no provision in the SRC Determinations for the State to meet the costs of children accompanying a leader on duty travel. There is no provision for a leader to take a child in the place of a spouse. A leader who takes a child on duty travel may meet all costs for his or her child.
Duty Travel Overseas:
SRC Determination EL2015-13 provides for overseas duty travel. A minister’s duty travel is approved by the Prime Minister. A leader is entitled to take his or her spouse on duty travel. But such travel is only restricted to twice in the leader’s term of office, not more. The State pays for the leader’s duty travel costs of US$500/day plus costs of accommodation. They are entitled to summer clothing allowance of US$600 every in 30 months and winter clothing allowance of US$1200 in every 5 years. If duty travel is sponsored by outside agencies or governments, an allowance of US $160/day is provided by PNG Government. Clothing allowances are non-acquittable.
Spouses accompanying Leaders on duty travel are entitled to travelling allowance of 40 per cent of the amount entitled to his or her spouse’s (Leader) allowance. There is no provision in the SRC Determinations for the State to meet the costs of children accompanying a leader (parent/guardian) on overseas duty travel. There is no provision for a leader to take a child in the place of a spouse. If he or she does the State is not responsible for the child’s travel costs.
If the People of Papua New Guinea paid for Justin Tkatchenko’s daughter’s duty travel costs through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as he himself admits, that is unlawful and a serious misconduct in office under the Leadership Code. More than that, he has denigrated Papua New Guineans of all walks of life. If Tkatchencko thinks Papua New Guineans are “useless and primitive animals” he cannot be living and profiting from the land of the inferior people. Surely our National Parliament is too inferior for him. He must resign and not attend the next sitting of Parliament fixed for 6th June 2023. The Government must revisit the terms and conditions of naturalized citizenship and declare him persona no grata.
