Rwanda
Presidential Order regulating Official Missions Abroad
Presidential Order 44 of 2017
- Published in Official Gazette 10 on 6 March 2017
- Assented to on 24 February 2017
- Commenced on 6 March 2017
- [This is the version of this document from 6 March 2017.]
Article One – Purpose of this Order
This Order regulates official missions abroad.Article 2 – Scope of this Order
This Order applies to the following persons:1°Government political leaders;2°public servants governed by the general statutes for public service;3°public servants governed by special statutes if such special statutes provide so;4°public servants subject to employment contracts;5°non-public servant people sent by Government on official missions.Article 3 – Representation of public organs in events abroad
In principle, where attendance to international conferences, meetings and workshops held abroad is necessary, public organs are represented by diplomats of Rwandan embassies or of consulates where Rwanda is represented.In exceptional cases, where the representation by diplomats of Rwandan embassies or consulates is not possible, missions abroad are determined in accordance with criteria provided for in Article 5 of this Order.Article 4 – Use of teleconferencing facilities
Public organs must use tele-conferencing facilities where and whenever possible to communicate with external partners.Article 5 – Selection criteria for missions abroad
Where there is a strong justification why a mission cannot be delegated to Rwandan diplomats, consideration of whether there should be an official mission abroad is only done if:1°it is mandatory by treaty, protocol or international agreement, to which the Government is signatory, that a certain official is required to attend and the official’s powers for signature cannot be delegated;2°it is a result of high level decisions or strategic directions that the physical presence of public servant or institution is required;3°it requires high technical expertise that cannot be readily available among Rwandan diplomats in the foreign missions;4°it is for initiating or negotiating, approval or funding an important project either new or among priority projects for national development whereby specific skills or networks are necessary;5°an official in a concerned public organ has to make a declaration or commitment on behalf of Government under the Rwanda National Meetings, Incentives/Conferences and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Strategy of September 2013;6°non-attendance by an official at specific level may have a negative implication and where such implication has been well clarified by the concerned institution.Article 6 – Consideration of request for missions abroad
When considering requests for missions abroad the following points must be emphasized:1°assessing the duration of the mission and the cost of the absence in office of the person concerned;2°assessing the cost of the mission including transport facilitation, travel insurance and per-diem;3°assessing the source of funding either from government budget or any external funding.Article 7 – Choosing the person to attend a mission
In choosing the person to attend a mission, the function level of the official is assessed and the basis of such a choice is indicated.The principle of the choice of the official to attend a mission is to give priority to technicians and middle-managers in the related fields while senior managers attend in cases where the events require only their level.Article 8 – Preparation of a plan of official missions abroad
Before the beginning of each fiscal year but not later than 01 July, every public organ prepares a plan of official missions abroad to be submitted for approval to the authority competent to authorize official missions abroad. A copy of the mission plan is provided to the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry in charge of public service.However, not having a mission on the plan of official missions abroad does not prevent the competent authority, in his/her discretion, to authorize a necessary unforeseen official mission abroad.Article 9 – Modalities for elaboration of a plan of official missions abroad
The plan of official mission abroad must be aligned with the annual budget and serve as a basis to identify which missions are to be attended, who will attend and related cost.The template for a plan of official missions abroad is in annexed to this Order.Article 10 – Competent authorities to authorize official missions abroad
The competent authorities to authorize official missions abroad are the following:1°the President of the Republic for senior officials in categories of job classification B, C and D;2°the President of the Senate for Senators and other public servants of the Senate;3°the Speaker for Deputies and other public servants of the Chamber of Deputies;4°the President of the Supreme Court for judges, judicial personnel and public servants of the Judiciary;5°the Prime Minister for other political leaders and public servants.Article 11 – Authority responsible for the selection of participants to official mission abroad
Selection of public servants to go on official mission abroad is done by the senior management in each public organ and submitted to the competent authority for approval.For public corporatized institutions and organs governed by special statutes with own special regulations on sending public servants on missions abroad, the selection is done by the senior management and approved by the chief executive officer of the institution.Article 12 – Application for authorization for official mission abroad
The employing organ requests for a public servant selected for official mission abroad a duly authorized permission issued by the competent authority.The application for the permission must reach the competent authority at least fifteen (15) days before the expected date of departure.Article 13 – Content of an official mission clearance
An official mission clearance contains at least the following:1°the names of the person sent to the mission and his/her employing organ;2°the purpose of the mission;3°the place of the mission;4°the duration of the mission;5°the signature of the authority sending the person on mission.Article 14 – Allowances for official missions abroad
A person traveling abroad for official mission, is entitled daily to:1°an accommodation allowances;2°a meals allowance;3°transport facilitation;4°costs for communication;5°other incidental costs.In case the costs of accommodation, meals, transport and communication are covered from other sources of funding than the Rwandan Government, the person on official mission is entitled to a contingency allowance equivalent to fifty US dollars (50 US$) per day for which no expenditure justification is required.However, the provisions of Paragraph 2 of this Article shall not apply to a senior official or a public servant who is entitled to an advance for contingencies provided for in Article 26 of this Order.Article 15 – Calculation of allowances for official mission abroad
Upon consultation with the Minister in charge of State finances, the Minister in charge of public service determines allowance rates for mission abroad depending on the living costs in the host country or city.Allowances for an official mission abroad are calculated in accordance with the rates determined under Paragraph One of this Article.Article 16 – Requirement to be granted mission allowances
Allowances for official missions abroad are granted after the beneficiary has shown an original copy of the travel clearance dully signed by the competent authority.Article 17 – Mission allowances for the President of the Republic
When the President of the Republic travels for an official mission abroad, the State covers all costs related to his/her accommodation, meals, transport, entertainment, communication and any other incidental costs for the good completion of the mission.Article 18 – Mission allowances for political leaders and senior officials of categories B and C
Political leaders and senior officials who fall in the categories B and C of job classification are, while traveling for official mission abroad, entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service, and receive in addition, a fifty percent (50%) top up of the above allowance.Article 19 – Mission allowances for political leaders and senior officials of category D
Political Leaders and senior officials who fall in the category of job classification D, while traveling for official mission abroad, are entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service, and receive in addition a thirty percent (30%) top up of the above allowance.Article 20 – Mission allowances for political leaders and senior officials of category E
Political Leaders and senior officials who fall in the category of job classification E, while traveling for official mission abroad, entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service, and receive in addition, a fifteen percent (15%) top up of the above allowance.Article 21 – Mission allowances for political leaders and public servants of categories F and G/1
Political Leaders and other public servants who fall in the categories of job classification F and G/1, while traveling for official mission abroad, entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service, and receive in addition, a ten percent (10%) top up of the above allowance.Article 22 – Mission allowances for political leaders and public servants of categories H/2 and 3
Political Leaders and public servants who fall in the categories of job classification H/2 and 3, while traveling for official mission abroad, entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service, and receive in addition, a five percent (5%) top up of the above allowance.Article 23 – Mission allowances for professionals and other personnel
Professionals and other public servants, while traveling for official mission abroad, entitled to one hundred percent (100%) of an official mission allowance in accordance with the Instructions of the Minister in charge of public service.Article 24 – Mission allowances for leaders and civil servants of local administrative entities
When Governors of Provinces, Executive Secretaries and other civil servants of a Province, members of the Executive Committee of Districts, Executive Secretaries and other civil servants of Districts, go on one day official mission abroad in regions bordering their working place, they are entitled to a contingency allowance as follows:1°Governor of Province, contingency allowance equivalent to one hundred US Dollars (100 US$);2°Executive Secretary of Province, contingency allowance equivalent to seventy US Dollars (70 US$);3°members of Executive Committee and Executive Secretary of District, contingency allowance equivalent to seventy US Dollars (70 US$);4°other civil servants of Province and District, contingency allowance equivalent to thirty US Dollars (30 US$).If a leader or civil servant mentioned in Paragraph One of this Article spends a night on official mission, he/she is entitled to ordinary allowances for mission abroad provided for by this Order.When leaders mentioned in point 1°, 2° and 3° of Paragraph One of this Article go on official mission abroad in regions bordering their working place by using their vehicles, they are entitled to insurance of their vehicles and mileage allowances specified in the relevant Ministerial Instructions of the Minister in charge of transport.Article 25 – Allowances for a non-public servant while on official mission abroad
A non-public servant sent on official mission abroad by Government is entitled to a mission allowance which is determined at the discretion of the authority responsible for granting authorization for the official mission basing on living costs of the place of destination.Article 26 – Advance for contingencies
Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 14 of this Order, political leaders and heads of delegation who fall in the categories of job classification B or C are entitled to one thousand US dollars (1,000 $) per day as contingency allowances. An expenditure justification is required for contingency allowances spent and the remaining amount is reimbursed to the Institution that sent the beneficiary in official mission.Article 27 – Travel aviation classes
Political leaders and senior officials who fall in the categories of job classification B and C travel in first class while on official mission abroad.Political leaders and senior officials who fall in the categories of job classification D and E travel in business class while on official mission abroad.Other political leaders and civil servants not mentioned in Paragraphs One and 2 of this Article travel in economy class while on official mission abroad.However, political leaders and public servants who fall in the category of job classification F travel in business class when they take a non-stop flight of eight (8) hours or more for an official mission abroad.The class level in which a non-public servant sent by Government on mission abroad travels is determined at the discretion of the authority competent for granting authorization for official mission basing on the importance of mission and duration of the flight.Article 28 – Official mission report
A person who returns from official mission abroad must submit a mission report to the authority that authorised his/her mission within a period not exceeding eight (8) working days after his/her return and provide a copy of the report to her/his employing organ.The mission report indicates the proceedings of the mission, recommendations and points requiring follow-up and responsible organs.A copy of the visa and stamp confirming the stay of the person in the host country must be annexed to the mission report.All public organs must ensure that their staff provide reports of official mission abroad.Article 29 – Report of public organs on official missions abroad
All public organs submit a monthly report on the implementation of their approved mission plans to the Ministry in charge of public service.However, public corporatized institutions and public organs governed by special statutes with own special regulations on sending public servants on missions abroad provide a monthly report to the Office of the President specifying official events attended by its staff and the whole budget spent on those missions. Copies of the report is reserved to the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry in charge of public service.Article 30 – Monitoring of implementation of the mission plans
The Ministry in charge of public service is responsible to monitor the implementation of the approved official mission abroad plans of public organs and submit quarterly progress reports to the Office of the President and the Prime Minister’s Office. The reports clearly indicate the missions attended abroad, their outcomes and the budget spent on them.Article 31 – Authorities responsible for the implementation of this Order
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Service and Labour, the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning are entrusted with the implementation of this Order.Article 32 – Repealing provision
Presidential Order nº 17/01 of 28/08/2008 regulating official missions abroad as modified and complemented to date as well as all other prior provisions contrary to this Order are hereby repealed.Article 33 – Commencement
This Order comes into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda.History of this document
06 March 2017 this version
Commenced
24 February 2017
Assented to