Facts regarding new travel policy for former Members of Parliament
7 April 2022
Parliament has finalised its policy on travel facilities for former Members of Parliament, including those who served as Members of the Executive, and has published the policy on Parliament's official papers, 'Acts, Tablings and Committees'.
The policy is a culmination of years of intensive work initiated by the Presiding Officers to mainly address unjustifiable costs driven by travel benefits provided to former Members, including former Members of the Executive who served prior to the 1994 democratic breakthrough and post 1994. There are currently 209 former Members of the Executive, their spouses and Widows and Widowers, who enjoy benefits as defined in the Ministerial handbooks from 1992 to 2007.
The groundwork, which also involved discussions with the Executive through relevant Ministers around the development of new policy framework, was initiated during the fourth Parliament.
Numerous proposals were submitted for consideration over several years. However, with the Executive Facilities provided for former Members of the Executive in force, an alignment needed to be created in order to bring about an inclusive and equal dispensation across the board.