E32 MILLION TO ENTERTAIN POLITICIANS

mfanukhona@times.co.sz

MBABANE – What is an entertainment allowance, what is it for?

These are two fundamental questions posed by one member of the civil society when he was asked to comment on the entertainment allowance of 10 per cent of basic salary for 107 politicians.

To answer this question, the Cambridge dictionary defines this facility in accounting terms as an amount of money that an employee is given to pay for taking customers or possible customers out to restaurants, bars, etc. 

Other dictionaries define this facility as amusement and enjoyment.
Another interpretation is from the lexicon.ft.com, which defines the entertainment allowance as an amount of money given regularly to an employee to pay for meals, hotels, drinks, etc.

In the face of current serious cash flow challenges faced by the wasteful government, 107 politicians are entitled to a monthly entertainment allowance of 10 per cent of their basic salaries.
“A non-accountable entertainment allowance of 10 per cent of basic monthly salary is payable to prime minister, deputy prime minister, presiding officers, ministers, parliamentarians (backbenchers), deputy presiding officers and regional administrators,” reads Finance Circular No.2 of 2013.

free to spend the money

The parliamentarians are free to spend the money on any form of entertainment, including buying alcohol.
This is not to suggest though that all the 107 members of Parliament are expected to buy alcohol, but are at liberty to do so. It is worth mentioning that some of the country’s politicians are teetotallers, it has been established.

However, this facility, as a matter of fact, was specifically introduced by government through Finance Circular No.2 of 2013 to gladden the politicians by making sure they go out to the restaurants and decent pubs.

It is on this premise that the auditor general or accountant general is not allowed to force them to account for this money. In total, government spends E537 519 per month on entertaining the 107 politicians. The House of Assembly has 73 members while the membership of Senate stands at 30. There are four regional administrators who are classified as deputy ministers.

On a yearly basis (E537 519 x12), government pays E6 450 228 (E6.5 million) for their amusement and enjoyment. Holding power for five years, it effectively means government will part with E32 251 140 (E32.2 million) to entertain the politicians. 

That is how the expenditure is derived. On a monthly basis, government is obligated in policy to provide Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini with amusement and enjoyment to the tune of E7 719.

Each of the 18 ministers gets an entertainment allowance of E6 175 while a member of Parliament (backbencher) receives E4 631 to do what he wants – either to host a party for friends or business associates. Based on the spirit of the circular, it is up to the minister to decide how and where to spend the money – either he buys Johnnie Walker Blue Label or entertains friends at a hotel. The MP does not have to account for this expenditure.

govt obligatION

Meanwhile, government is also obligated to amuse Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku with E6 447 while Speaker Petros Mavimbela and Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini get E6 175 apiece.
Their deputies, Ndumiso Mdluli and Phila Buthelezi are given E5 403 to entertain themselves.  

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: