/ 22 January 2010

Parliament replies to ID on MPs’ travel allowances

Responding to criticism from the leader of the Independent Democrats (ID), Patricia de Lille, about MPs making more money out of their generous travel allowances, Parliament has released a statement outlining and defending the current system.

Parliament’s communications department said on Friday that according to Parliament’s current rules on travel, agreed to by multiparty structures in Parliament, MPs are entitled to 86 single domestic airline journeys per financial year, at the expense of Parliament.

“These air journeys may be offset or exchanged for travel by road, train or bus,” the department said. “In the case of journeys by motor vehicle, MPs are reimbursed for the full cost of the journey via the shortest route, at the higher Automobile Association rate or the government rate per kilometre. The distance for which claims are lodged cannot exceed the distance between Cape Town and an MP’s registered home or constituency base.

“Claims for such motor vehicle journeys must be accompanied by acceptable proof of the journey (for example, petrol slips, tollgate slips or proof of other expenditure related to the journey). Motor vehicle journeys that are longer than 800km between an MP’s registered home or constituency base and Cape Town entitles that MP to overnight accommodation of not more than R1 150 a night, including dinner, bed and breakfast. MPs are reimbursed for actual accommodation costs incurred up to the limit of R1 150 a night, including dinner, bed and breakfast.”

Last year De Lille pointed out: “If you drive to Johannesburg and back you lose two single plane tickets, but the cost to Parliament for your trip is triple as much as if you fly. For the 2 786km return trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg an MP would get, at R3,69 per km, a total of R10 305 in travel claims.

“In addition to this, because the drive to Johannesburg is over 800km, the MP is entitled to claim R1 150 rand for an overnight stay on the way to Johannesburg and another R1 150 on the way back.

“Add this R2 300 rand for accommodation to the R10 305 and you get R12 605, compared with Parliament’s going rate of R4 354 for a return ticket to Johannesburg.”

De Lille reckoned that some MPs were making as much as R30 000 to R40 000 in a year over their salaries by using this technique.

The Parliamentary officials, however, pointed out that comparing the costs of motor vehicle journeys with air travel journeys is not entirely an accurate comparison because even if MPs travel by air, Parliament pays the costs of their transport to and from airports.

They also point out that the rules are under continuous review by Parliament’s various multiparty governance structures, as are other rules governing facilities for MPs. — I-Net Bridge