DRAFT TRAVEL POLICY

PAKISTAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (CDS) CONTRACT TASK

ORDER (TO) 2: FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES TO KPRP, FIP
AND MSP-KP (FMSS-KP)

Contract No. 72039118D00002

Task Order No. 72039120F00008

Submitted: November 2021

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It
was prepared by for Chemonics International Inc. for the USAID/Pakistan Financial and Management
Support Services to KPRP, FIP, and MSP-KP, IDIQ Contract No. 72039118D00002/Task Order No.
72039120F00008.
1. INTRODUCTION
In order to discharge their duties, the Program staff has to travel within and outside Province, and in some
exceptional circumstances the staff has to undertake international travel as well. The Policy sets out the
detailed procedures for official travel including methods, terms of travelling and outstation residence,
applicable TA/DA rates and reimbursement of travel expenses incurred during these visits.
It is essential that all the employees travelling for official duties remain familiar with the Travel Policy which
shall be periodically reviewed in order to cater for changing circumstances.
2. Scope
The procedures defined in this policy applies to all employees at all levels and consultants and are applicable
to domestic as well as international travel. The Program shall have the authority to amend the Policy at
any time. Changes in the procedures shall be communicated to all staff and shall be effective from date of
issuance.
3. Responsibilities of Management and Employees

It is the responsibility of all employees and consultants to read and comply with the Policy and procedures.
Management shall:
a) Update the travel policy in line of the changed circumstances
b) Consider budget constraints and reasonableness of expenses.
c) Ensure the safety and security of the traveler to maximum possible extent
d) Consider alternatives, for instance, teleconferencing, prior to travel authorization.
Employee shall:

• Ensure optimal application of the Policy.

• Obtain appropriate approvals as and when required.
• The travelers shall act responsibly and will not indulge in any act which may harm the reputation
of the Program
• Exercise discreet judgment with respect to expenses covered by the Policy.
• Report all expenses and advances in a prompt and accurate manner along with supporting
documents.
• Repay unused amounts due promptly.

4. Travel Status
Travel begins at the time when the traveler leaves his/ her residence, office or any other point of departure
and ends when he/ she returns to any of the said points. Travel costs include expenses for transportation,
and related items incurred by employees in travel status on official business of Program. Travel costs are
allowable when they are directly linked to performance of the work directly related to the Program and
are incurred in the normal course of business of the Program.
5. Travel Authorization/ Approval
Travel shall be authorized only when it is attributable to functions essential for achieving the objectives of
the Program and that those functions cannot be performed by other means. All travels require formal
pre-authorization of immediate supervisor and subsequent approval of the Project Director (PD)/Program
Manager (PM). Travel shall be approved at least five working days in advance for domestic travel and
twenty working days in case of international travel (in exceptional cases, PD/PM may relax the time limit
on recommendation from immediate supervisor) through Travel Authorization Form attached as
Annexure – A.
6. Transportation

6.1. Mode of Travel

The choice of transportation shall be based on efficient use of employees’ time and least cost to Program.
To the fullest extent possible, travel mode shall be the most economical that reasonably meets official
travel needs. The mode of travel shall be recommended by the reporting officer and approved by Project
Director. Common modes of travel are:
 Air travel.
 Ground Travel by
• Official Vehicle
• Public Transportation
• Taxi/ Cab
• Rental Car
• Personal vehicle
• Rail

Other modes of travel may be used only when the use of common modes of travel would interfere with
performance of official work or impose undue difficulty upon the traveler, or when the total cost by
common modes significantly exceeds the cost of other mode of travel. When two or more employees
are traveling together, travel related decisions/ choices during travel period and record keeping is the
responsibility of senior most employee. Further guidelines for common modes of travel are provided in
the following sections. The mode of travel requires due recommendation of the reporting officer and
approval of PD/PM.

6.1.1. Air Travel

Air travel is only permissible when the inter-city distance via motorway is more than 500 km. In order to
optimize cost savings for the Program, employees shall make reservations through the Program
immediately after travel is authorized. Air reservations shall be made at least 5 working days in advance
of travel date in case of domestic travel while 14 working days in case of international travel. Reservation
should be made in lowest possible fare available at the time of booking.
Air travel is allowed only in economy class; however, business class is allowed in case seats are not
available. All international travels shall be recommended by PD/PM.
Travelers shall notify the Program in advance in case of change in travel schedule. Traveler shall not be
penalized against the cancellation costs borne by Program if the change in travel schedule is beyond
traveler’s control. Unused tickets shall be returned by employees to the Program for onward submission
to airline/ travel agent for credit; otherwise, the traveler shall be responsible for the cost of unused tickets
or penalties incurred which could have been avoided by prompt notification from the traveler.
6.1.2. Ground Travel
Ground travel mode shall be selected based on cost-effectiveness and safety. Common modes of ground
travel are as follow:
a) Official Vehicle

Official vehicle shall be provided by the Program for domestic travel as per availability and convenience.
The concerned driver shall be responsible for maintaining a log of all expenses incurred during the course
of travel, including fuel, toll payments, parking charges and maintenance (if any), supported by invoices/
receipts.
b) Bus

Employees shall avail Bus service while travelling inter-city when the inter-city distance is lesser than
500km. Program employees are allowed to avail bus service with a maximum fare of Daewoo “Premium
Class”, while for the support staff the maximum allowed fare is Daewoo “Luxury Class”, subject to
submission of actual receipts. However, if a situation so arises where it is not possible to undertake travel
by bus, rent-a-car shall be arranged with the approval of Project Manager on recommendation of
concerned supervisor.
c) Car Rental

The use of rental car must be justified as an official need and not as a matter of personal convenience. It
is generally an expensive mode of ground travel and shall only be used when other modes are not available
and when nature of the trip or the location being visited is such that other modes of ground travel are
unfeasible or expensive. Car rental facility shall be availed for inter-city travel after prior approval from
immediate supervisor and PD/PM. Travelers are expected to negotiate minimum rates with car rental
providers. Insurance cost shall not be reimbursed. Driver of the rented vehicle must hold valid driver’s
license. Driver/ car details and tracker link (if available) should be shared with Administration Section.
Car rental reimbursement shall be made against invoices/ receipts, in cases where receipts are un-available,
copy of CNIC of driver may be attached with the acknowledgment of rental by the driver on a paper.
d) Personal Vehicle

Employees may use their personal vehicle (cars) for official travel purpose, if it is less expensive than other
modes of ground transportation or is timelier than taking public transportation. Use of personal vehicle
shall be pre-authorized by the PD/PM.
Employees so authorized shall travel at their own risk, shall be responsible for making arrangements
regarding insurance and shall not claim against Program in respect of any damage or injury caused during
travel.
Amount equivalent to Daewoo premium fare from city of travel to city of destination shall be paid against
the use of personal vehicle.
e) Rail
Travel by rail is allowed in Air-Conditioned class. Reimbursement shall be made only against actual
receipts/ invoices.

f) Taxi/ Cab

Program encourages the use of Taxi/ Cab for intra-city travel and recommends using registered/ authentic
taxi services (if available) like Careem or Uber. In absence of registered taxi services, employees may use
ordinary taxis and negotiate minimum possible rates. While traveling away from home, overnight living
accommodations should to the extent practicable, be selected near to the place of duty so as to eliminate
or minimize the need for taxis or other local transportation. When taxis are used, they should be shared
to the maximum extent possible by employees traveling together. Taxi payment shall be based on actual
expense and shall be reimbursed against receipts; when receipt cannot be obtained, a justification
statement signed by the traveler (senior most employee in case of two or more travelers) shall be
required.
6.2. Rerouting
A direct travel route shall be used for all official travels. However, when rerouting is required during a
trip, travelers should contact the Program and request the change. Any addition or reduction in expenses
resulting from the change shall be accounted for by the travel on his/ her trip report. In case of rerouting
for personal convenience, any increase in expenses shall be the responsibility of traveler and he/ she will
not be paid extra per diem for transit time involved.
7. Travel advances
A travel advance is provided to compensate expenses that are expected to be incurred in conjunction
with a trip. Upon traveler’s request through the travel authorization/ approval form, a travel advance is
recommended by the immediate supervisor and authorized by the PD/PM/PM. The advance shall cover
project travel expenditures and be accounted for in Travel Expense Report (Annexure – B). Advances
issued for trips cancelled afterwards shall be returned to the Program within 3 working days. The travel
advance shall not exceed 80% of the total anticipated expenses. Advance for international travel shall be
provided on case-to-case basis, depending on travel destination and duration. Travel advance shall be
settled no later than 10 working days after completion of trip. Non-settlement for more than 14 calendar
days may result in appropriate disciplinary action.
8. Cancellations
Airline, hotel and transportation reservation cancellations shall be made immediately after a change in
travel plans. Reservations directly made by travelers are their responsibility to cancel within one working
day of the change in travel plans. Any fees associated with the failure to cancel in a timely manner shall be
the responsibility of the traveler. If cancelation is being made for personal purposes, any additional
expenses incurred shall be responsibility of the traveler. Moreover, the unused fare/ tickets shall be
returned/refunded to the Program within 3 days of cancellation. Besides, reservations made by the
Program are to be cancelled by the Administration Department.

9. Clearance of Travel Accounts

The Program staff and the consultants are entitled to a fixed daily allowance (DA) for meals (breakfast,
lunch, dinner and related tips and taxes) and incidental expenses (for example, gratuities and tips, laundry,
toiletries), in case the traveler spends one night out of city for official travel or the duration of travel is
more than twelve hours. In addition to DA, the employee can claim reimbursement against other allowable
expenses with submission of actual receipts for the expenses. Lodging expenses shall be paid on actual
basis upon submission of actual hotel bills. For bills less than Rs.2,000/-, if a receipt is not available or
missing, the traveler shall provide a written justification explaining the circumstances. The Program holds
the right to settle travel expenses based on appropriateness and cost-effectiveness. Employees making day
trips will be allowed reimbursement of meal expenses (subject to submission of actual receipts) with the
maximum reimbursement cap mentioned in the below table:
Per Diem Rates for TA/ DA, Meal’s reimbursement Cap

Daily Allowance/ Meal’s reimbursement

S. No Designation Cap (Day trip)
per diem
1 Project Director Rs. 6,500/- Rs.1,000/-
2 Assistant Director Rs. 6,500/- Rs.800/-
3 Senior Officer Rs. 6,000/- Rs.500/-
4 Officer Rs. 5,500/- Rs.500/-
5 Consultant Rs. 5,500/- Rs.500/-
6 Drivers Rs. 1,500 Rs.300/-

10. Daily Allowance/ Per Diem Calculation

Daily Allowance (DA) covers the cost of living, meals and other miscellaneous expenses during official
travel. Time and cost efficiency shall be taken into account while planning travel and also during travel. DA
shall be paid on per diem basis based on the following guidelines:
a) Calculation of DA shall be based on number of nights stayed during official travel.
b) If travel duration of a day trip is greater than 8 hours, the traveler shall be entitled to
reimbursement of meal expenses up to an amount not exceeding the maximum reimbursement
cap.
c) DA shall only be admissible for Sunday or Public Holiday falling during official travel.
d) In case the travel takes up to three (03) hours or less under usual circumstances, the employee
shall travel in the morning and shall be required to undertake work on the same day and no DA
shall be admissible if the duration of the travel will be less than twelve hours. The DA will only
be admissible if the duration of the travel exceeds twelve hours in the day.
e) In case the travel takes more than three (03) hours, the staff shall travel one day advance and DA
shall be admissible against that night stay.
f) If an employee takes casual leave during the trip, he/ she shall not be paid any DA for the leave
period and DA shall be admissible only for period of duty.
g) If an employee performs official duties during a personal visit, he/ she shall be entitled to DA or
meals reimbursement on the same basis as the employee would be entitled to on an official trip.
The entitlement to DA/ meals’ reimbursement shall be applicable only for the days spent in
performing official functions for which pre-authorization will be required

11. Reimbursement procedures

Employees seeking reimbursement shall submit a Travel Expense Report (Annexure-B), duly filled
substantiated with original invoices/ receipts and duly signed by the employee. Employee’s signature
certifies that all expenses listed on Travel Expense Report are clearly and correctly described and actual
amounts are shown in all instances. Reimbursements over Rs.1,000/- must be supported by receipts. For
bills of less than Rs.1,000/-, if a receipt is not available or missing, for expense to be considered for
reimbursement, the employee must provide a written justification explaining the circumstances. Travel
Expense report should be accompanied by all the receipts in original as well as boarding passes and copy
of air ticket, in case of air travel.
Travel Expense Report shall be submitted to immediate supervisor and Administration Department no
later than 10 days of trip completion. Travel expenses over 10 days old shall only be reimbursed with
PD/PM’s authorization and shall require proper justification from the traveler. Reimbursements claimed
after 14 calendar days of trip completion shall not be entertained and shall remain the personal liability of
the traveler unless authorized by PD/PM in special circumstance to be recorded in writing.
11.1. Reimbursable expenses
The following travel expenses/ items are allowed for reimbursement:
a) Transfer, storage and checking of baggage necessary for the purpose of travel.
b) Commissions for conversion of currency for official expenses.
c) Fees for travellers’ cheques.
d) Fees in connection with issuance of visas, photographs for visas and expenses associated
with obtaining visas.
e) Necessary public stenographic or typewriting services or rental of type writer, computers and
printers required to carry out official functions, with prior approval.
f) Hiring of room as a secretariat for official use when necessary to transact official business with
prior approval.
 g) Vaccinations or disease prevention treatments required.
h) Other expenses directly linked to official duties or purpose of travel.

11.2. Non-reimbursable expense

The following travel expenses/ items are not authorized for reimbursement:
a) Passport fee.
b) Fees and tips to waiters, drivers, porters, baggage handlers, bellhops and hotel servants for
personal handling of luggage.
c) Lost luggage and contents.
d) Transportation from place of lodging or business to places where meals are taken.
e) Taxi charges or car rentals from airport to hotel or from hotel to airport where such
transportation is provided complimentary by the hotel.
f) Meals and drinks in excess of the maximum cap for reimbursement in case of day trips
g) In-house movies and entertainment expenses.
h) Phone and internet cards.
i) Additional expenses associated with the cost of business class airfare.
j) Personal medication.
k) Expense incurred by failure to cancel reservations.
l) Expenses incurred by the traveller’s spouse or other dependents accompanying travel.
m) Magazines or newspaper expenses.
n) Other expenses not directly linked to official duties or purpose of travel.

12. Sponsored/ Funded Travel

Expenses for all international travels fully sponsored by another organization shall be paid by the
sponsoring/ inviting agency and Program employees shall not be entitled to transportation costs or DA
from the Program. If an international travel is not fully funded, DA rates and other travel related costs
shall be approved by the on case-to-case basis.
13. Other Guidelines

a) In general, the Program does not support a substitution or exchange philosophy regarding travel
expenses. If an employee chooses a less expensive option, it would be inappropriate to utilize this
cost saving somewhere else, especially if it is personal in nature.
b) The traveler shall mention on his/her Travel Request Form an address where Program may reach
him/her for discharge of official work.
c) When an employee on official travel is summoned in his/her official capacity by a court of law or
any other authority in Pakistan; he/she shall be entitled to travelling allowance as on official tour,
subject to prior approval for the journey.
14. Consultant

All the consultants hired for the Program shall abide by the travel policy, The Program staff working with
the consultant shall share the travel policy with the consultant as soon as the consultant is hired. Any
travel expense incurred by the consultant in violation of the Policy shall not be reimbursed.
 Annexure-A

TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION FORM

ORIGIN OF REQUEST (Basic Information)
Name:
Title/Position: LT Staff
Email: ST Staff
Phone #: Consultant
Other (if yes, please specify below)

Signature: Date:

ASSIGNMENT
Location of Departure:

Method of Travel: By Road By Air

Please check the applicable box if travelling by road.

Bus

Project Car If yes, sharing with:

Rented Car If yes, sharing with:

Personal Car If yes, sharing with:

Destination(s) / Itinerary: (Provide as much detail as possible, including dates)

Proposed Departure Date: Time:

Proposed Return Date: Time:

Total Number of Days

Purpose of Travel

FACILITATION REQUIRED (check all the applicable boxes)

Lodging Requested Hotel
Transportation Air Ticket Project Car Car Rent Request Form*

Pool Item: Camera GPS Device Evo Stick

Travel Advance Form

APPROVALS
Supervisor Concurrence: Signature Date

Print Name

Security Concurrence: Signature Date

Print Name

Operations' Concurrence: Signature Date

Print Name

Project Approval: Signature Date

Print Name

NOTE: For the first and last days of travel M&IE is paid at 75% of the applicable daily rate; for each full day away from an employee’s regular work place,
M&IE is paid at 100% of the applicable daily rate. The traveler will be paid @75% of applicable M&IE rate for a single day travel, if the destination is at least
80km away from regular duty station and the total travel time is more than 12 hours.
 Annexure-B

Travel Expense Report Form

Purpose:

Name: Department:

Employee ID: Manager:

Air & Fuel/ Meals & Entertai

Date Description Lodging Phone Other Total
Trans Mileage Tips nment
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -
Sub-Total -
Note: Mileage for personal car = PKR XX/mile Advances -
Total Re-imbursement -
*Please attach receipts

Itemized Expenses or Description for "Other"

Date Description Amount

Authorized by Date

For office use only