Times Of Swaziland: CIVIL SERVANTS’ ALLOWANCES GO UP BY 100% CIVIL SERVANTS’ ALLOWANCES GO UP BY 100% ================================================================================ BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 09/12/2014 04:41:00 MBABANE – Government has increased commuted travel, subsistence and motor vehicle allowances for civil servants by almost 100 per cent. This is according to a memorandum which was signed by transferred Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Khabonina Mabuza. The newly-revised rates were effective as of December 1, 2014. The memo was signed by Mabuza on November 17, 2014, four days before the revocation of her appointment by His Majesty King Mswati III. This will come as good news to civil servants who have, from time to time, complained that the allowances were too little, especially due to the increasing price of fuel and food. The memo has also been circulated to the various government ministries and is now on notice boards. According to the memo, the newly-revised rates were meant for continued work efficiency and effectiveness. Commuted travel allowance has increased from 17 cents to 50 cents per kilometre which shows a difference of 33 cents, which is 194 per cent. According to Government General Orders A525 and A526, the commuted travel allowance is meant for civil servants who have to travel over six kilometres when they go to their workstations. An example, as stated in the government orders, is if an officer employed in Mbabane or Manzini has not been allocated a government quarters within six kilometres, either from the Swazi Plaza Shopping Complex or the main Post Office then he or she can claim such an allowance. Section B further reads that officers who are unable to rent private accommodation within the mentioned radius can also claim. However, the memo states that the new maximum claim for the commuted travel allowance is E1 000. Other officers employed elsewhere than the two cities and not allocated government quarters are also eligible to receive the allowances.