Chapter 14: Subsistence Allowances Short-Term Duty Journey

1400. The payment of a subsistence allowance is intended to ensure that an officer who is required to travel on duty shall not be out of pocket as a result, but that, on the other hand, no officer shall derive any pecuniary benefit from travelling on duty. Subsistence allowances are therefore calculated to meet only the additional expenditure which an officer when travelling on duty away from his permanent station is obliged to incur over and above the expenses which he would otherwise normally incur at home. Subsistence allowance is meant to cover the cost of accommodation and three meals a day at a good, but not luxurious, hotel. The standard should be commensurate with the status of the officer concerned.
1401. Claims for subsistence allowance must be submitted to the Head of Department for certification. Heads of Departments are required to satisfy themselves personally that claims are in order and reasonable and that the claimant was actually travelling on duty during the period covered by the claim. After he has certified and approved the claim, it should be attached to a payment Voucher and sent to the Treasury, via The Permanent Secretary of The Ministry, for payment. Heads of Departments who are required to travel on duty will complete a claim and have it certified and approved by The Permanent Secretary and forwarded to the Treasury for payment, accompanied by a payment Voucher.
1402. The rates of subsistence allowances are set out in Appendix E. The standard rates of subsistence allowance may be paid in advance of duty travel but Heads of Departments and/or Permanent Secretaries must satisfy themselves personally that officers receiving such payments in advance are actually required to travel on duty and are not privately accommodated during the period covered by the advanced payment. Travel, and the Vouchers submitted for such payments must be properly authorized.
1403. For journeys to destinations other than those shown in Appendix E, actual expenses will be paid, provided that they are reasonable and supported by receipts.
1404. Flat rates have been laid down for the most common destinations to save both the officer and the Treasury the trouble of detailed accounting, but officers will need to support their claims with receipted hotel bills as evidence that they were not privately accommodated.
1405. If in exceptional circumstances an officer is unavoidably put to an expense greater than the amount of subsistence allowance, consideration will be given to reimbursing him his actual reasonable expenses.
1406. If an officer travels with a senior officer who is entitled to a higher rate of subsistence allowance, and it is necessary in the public interest that they stay in the same accommodation, consideration will be given to paying the junior officer the higher rate of subsistence allowance, but prior approval must be obtained from The Permanent Secretary of The Public Service.
1407. Fares, long distance official telephone calls, porterage charges, and other reasonable expenses, may be claimed in addition to subsistence allowance.
1408. Daily subsistence rates may be paid for the first 28 nights of an officer's absence on duty; but, if the duty journey lasts longer than 28 nights, special arrangements with The Permanent Secretary of The Public Service must be made in advance of the journey.

On arrival in the Bahamas to take up duty

1410. An officer arriving in The Bahamas to take up duty may be allowed the rates of subsistence set out in Appendix F, if he lives in a hotel, for such time not exceeding 8 nights until he finds accommodation. If he lives in a hotel, reservations will be made by Government. An officer accommodated otherwise than in a hotel will receive half of the rates outlined in Appendix F.
1411. The period on subsistence rates stated in General Order 1410 may be extended only in exceptional circumstances.
1412. Claims for subsistence allowance in respect of the settling in period of officers taking up duty in The Bahamas must be accompanied by receipted bills.
 

During training course and scholarships

1415. The rates of subsistence payable to officers attending training courses overseas are given at Appendix F.
1416. The subsistence rates are intended to cover board, lodging, personal maintenance, and incidental expenses. Separate payments will be made to cover fares, tuition, examination fees, books and other expenses directly appertaining to the training course.
1417. Payment of subsistence allowances is normally made as from the date the officer arrives in the Country in which the course is held, but not from a date more than one week before the commencement of the course. Payment will cease on the day after the last day of the course.
1418. Special arrangements are made for officers who are awarded scholarships. Such officers will not receive subsistence allowances.
1419. Arrangements for payment under General Orders 1415 to 1418 will be made in the country in which the course or scholarship is being taken.

General

1425. All claims must be submitted to the Head of Department as soon as possible after the expenditure has been incurred.
1426. Items (except trivial ones) unaccompanied by receipts must be supported by the following declaration:
I certify that these charges have been incurred solely upon The Public Service, receipts being unobtainable because
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1427. An advance received in anticipation of the payment of subsistence allowance must be accounted for within twenty-one days of the return from absence on duty. A statement of such advances must be recorded on the claim for subsistence. Claims for subsistence will not be passed for payment unless a statement is included therein, and any advances made will be deducted from the claim. If no advance of subsistence allowance has been drawn, a statement to this effect should be made. No advance will be made unless all previous advances have been accounted for.
 

Transport Allowances

1430. Officers who are required to travel for the performance of their duties and who use their private cars for this purpose will be eligible for a commuted transport allowance calculated on the basis of the average mileage run on official duty over a period of at least three months and determined in accordance with the rates at Appendix G.
1431. The eligibility of an officer for an allowance in respect of the use of his car for official purposes will be established on an application to his Head of Department, to be forwarded certified by The Permanent Secretary to The Permanent Secretary Department of Public Service.
1432. Casual mileage allowance at the rate indicated in Appendix G may be paid to any officer who does a small mileage not qualifying for a commuted allowance.
1433. No allowance shall be paid for journeys between an officer's home and his office during working hours. An officer may, on the recommendation of his Head of Department, draw occasional allowance in respect of any extraordinary journey between his home and his normal place of work if he is required by his Head of Department to return to his place of work outside the normal hours.
1434. When an officer proceeds directly from his home to a place of work other than his office, or; normal place of work he shall be eligible (whether or not he subsequently proceeds from that place to his office, or; normal place of work) for an allowance for such mileage as is in excess of the mileage normally covered in his journey from his home to his office, or; normal place of work. The normal place of work of an officer shall, where necessary, be decided by The Permanent Secretary of his Ministry or the Head of his Department.
1435. Officers not in receipt of regular transport allowance, who need to hire motor transport for a journey on official business, may claim refund of the authorized, charge for hire.
1436. Officers in receipt of transport allowances are required to keep a daily record of their journeys on duty. This record must show the dates, places visited and actual mileage. Permanent Secretaries (or Head of Department where there is no Permanent Secretary) will be responsible for seeing that proper records are kept, and that all mileage done is necessary for the proper performance of the officer's duties. Officers must not be allowed to achieve unnecessary mileage to qualify for a larger allowance or to have a rate fixed at a certain figure and then habitually do less mileage. All travelling on duty must be kept under constant review; proposed changes in allowance holders and official mileage rates must be approved by The Permanent Secretary of The Public Service, and there must be a strict control over casual mileage performed.
1437. Commuted allowances may continue to be paid during periods of vacation leave not exceeding one month, so long as no other officer acts in the post of the absent officer.
1438. Claims for payment of mileage allowance must be submitted monthly to the Treasury, within three days of the end of the month in which the expenditure was incurred, together with a certificate from The Permanent Secretary or Head of Department. Claims not submitted within two months will be disallowed unless there is valid reason for the delay.
1439. As an alternative to the arrangements set out in General Orders 1430 to 1438, an officer may, with the approval of The Deputy Prime Minister expressed through The Permanent Secretary of The Public Service, be granted the use of a Government motor car, or; Government motor scooter in connection with his official duties, and also for domestic and private purposes.
1440. The charge in respect of the private and domestic use of a Government motor car is B$42.86 a month and for a Government motor scooter, B$7.14, recoverable by deduction from the salary of the officer concerned.
1441. No person, other than the officer concerned may drive a Government vehicle that is made available in accordance with General Order 1439, and such a vehicle will not be permitted to ply for hire.