NATIONAL Treasury said last
week that it would not make
an official announcement
relating to lodge cards
becoming the mandatory
method of payment for
government travel accounts.
At the GBTA Conference
late last year, Phale Naake,
then deputy director of
strategic procurement at
National Treasury, said lodge
cards would soon become
the mandatory method of
payment for government
travel accounts. At the
time, canvassed TMCs
were in favour of this,
saying they would receive
payment immediately rather
than having to wait for
government accounts to be
paid.
Six months later, TNW
followed up with Treasury.
“Although lodge cards
are the preferred method
of payment for travel
transactions, they will
always be optional and
at the discretion of the
respective department’s
accounting officers.
National Treasury has not,
and will not make an official
announcement and the
status quo remains,” said a
spokesperson for National
Treasury.
Relating to TMCs reporting
a recent slowdown in
government payments, the
spokesperson said legislation
required accounting officers
to pay within 30 days but
suggested that specific
queries should be directed
to the respective account
officers of the implicated
owing institutions.
Gerrit Davids, lead adviser
of Taranis Co Advisory,
legal advisers, said he had
been attempting to assist
government suppliers,
including TMCs, to enact the
30-day regulation. However,
when emails are sent
to the relevant National
Treasury address, messages
are returned in error. He has
frequently phoned Treasury
to follow up but reception
refuses to put him through
to the relevant people and
instead insists that the
email address is correct.
Subsequent to this, a
spokesperson from Treasury
told TNW that the function
had been taken over by the
Department of Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation
and the correct address to
use was 30daypayment@
dpme.gov.za. Gerrit told TNW
that this information had
not been provided to him on
his numerous attempts to
contact Treasury.
