business

June 19, 2018

POLOKO MOKHELE

2 min read

Minister blows thousands on hotel accomodation

Minister blows thousands on hotel accomodation

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MASERU - A minister in the Pakalitha Mosisili-headed former seven parties’ government stayed at Avani Lesotho from 11 March to 1 June 2017 and as a result, a payment of M383, 304.53 was made for his accommodation, meals and soft drinks, the Auditor General has revealed. According to Members of Parliament Salaries (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations, 2016 in Schedule 2 Category B, in the absence of a fully furnished government, Ministers, Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Senate are entitled to a tax-free housing allowance of M5, 000.

A report into the 2017 consolidated financial statements which was recently released by the office of the Auditor General indicated that, the minister drew a tax-free expense allowance of M5, 000 per month while his meals and drinks were paid by the government. The report stated that, ‘’it is understandable that the minister can stay in a hotel for some few days while preparations are being made for a government house but there is no provision in the law that the minister can stay in a hotel.”

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The report shows that if the Members of Parliament Salaries (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations, 2016 were complied with in the absence of a fully furnished government house, the government would have paid M15, 000 and saved M368, 304.53 for that period of 3 months. ‘’A tax-free expense allowance of M5,000 per month would have not been paid as long as the Minister was staying in a hotel and the government was paying paying for his lodging and accommodation,” Auditor General, Lucy Liphafa, said in the report.

The Auditor General further said, ‘’it is evident that the law should be amended to cater for a short stay in a hotel, maybe for a period not exceeding 14 days, if the minister is unable to move into a suitable accommodation upon appointment. The minister is among seven ministers who were appointed in February 2017 before the June 2017 general elections, which produced the current 4x4 government led by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane. Metro is nonetheless withholding publishing the former minister‘s names for professional reasons.

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