Ministers or minister equivalent post holders will be held accountable for their expenses in hospitality and entertainment (HE) if the Entitlement for a Minister and Minister Equivalent Post Holder act is enacted. The bill subjects a minister or minister equivalent post holder to produce original bills, invoices or receipts, for expenses incurred for hospitality and entertainment.
As per the definition in the bill, ministers or minister equivalent post holders can claim entertainment allowance for attending social, cultural or sporting events with officials or people who have or who may facilitate the active conduct of official business. It excludes entertainment in connection with the constituency visits.
Similarly, hospitality allowance can be claimed on meals, local beverages as well as tea and snacks given to or received from officials or people who have or who may facilitate the active conduct of official business. It excludes donations, rewards and offerings of a personal nature.
“Ministers or minister equivalent post holders should not be entitled to HE allowance when visiting their constituencies. This is because, for a minister, the government allocates over a Nu 100,000 as discretionary allowance to be spent for their visit to constituencies. The committee clearly mentioned that the HE be entitled only if they are on government business. Else, they could make costs incurred in rewards and offerings of personal nature as hospitality and entertainment for government business,” Eminent Member Dasho Tashi Wangyal said.
“I think the bill should retain the clause defining entertainment as attendance at social, cultural or sporting events with officials or people who may facilitate the active conduct of official business. It excludes entertainment in connection with the constituency visits by ministers. There was issue in the past pertaining HE expenses,” the Punakha MP Lhaki Dolma said.
The Royal Audit Authority’s report 2015-2016 on hospitality and entertainment found that the expenditures without supporting documents were mostly on the accounts of soelra, tips, contributions, donations, chagyep, semso, nyenda and other miscellaneous expenses incurred by different agencies. The report found that the Former Cabinet Ministers, National Assembly Speaker, National Council Chairperson, Opposition Leader and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court spent Nu 55 M in a year. The expenditure exceeded by Nu 15 M from the approved hospitality and entertainment budget of Nu 40 M.
