Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE64075
2009-06-19 23:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

Keeping Foreign Area Per Diem Rates

Tags:  ALOW AMGT APER AFIN 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHC #4075/01 1702327
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R 192305Z JUN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 7961
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 064075 

SIPDIS
PASS TO ALL USAID MISSIONS
FOR MANAGEMENT COUNSELORS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OFFICERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ALOW AMGT APER AFIN
SUBJECT: Keeping Foreign Area Per Diem Rates
Current

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 064075

SIPDIS
PASS TO ALL USAID MISSIONS
FOR MANAGEMENT COUNSELORS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OFFICERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ALOW AMGT APER AFIN
SUBJECT: Keeping Foreign Area Per Diem Rates
Current


1. All Federal agencies, as well as Federal contractors, many
non-governmental and international organizations, and private
companies, utilize the Department of State-managed Foreign
Area Per Diem Rates to determine appropriate levels of support
for lodging and meals / incidental expenses while on official
or business travel. Keeping those per diem rates up to date
is a collaborative effort by our overseas posts and the Office
of Allowances.


2. The Department of State's Office of Allowances is
responsible for maintaining foreign area per diem rates. This
includes, primarily, the analysis of hotel and restaurant cost
data submitted by diplomatic and consular posts and
publication of updated rates on a regular basis.


3. For Department of State offices, the eAllowances
application was developed initially in 2006 to automate the
submission of Hotel and Restaurant Report survey data,
previously collected and submitted on hard-copy forms. That
original eAllowances function has been retained, even while
eAllowances now automates the submission of other allowance
and differential reporting. eAllowances permits much more
rapid and accurate updating of per diem rates.


4. The Office of Allowances issues updated per diem rates only
once per month, with an effective date of the first calendar
date of the month. We cannot make "interim" changes for a
variety of reasons, but primarily due to the extensive use of
automation in the travel process throughout the U.S.
Government and private sector. All per diem rates denominated
in a foreign currency are reviewed monthly for the impact of
exchange rate fluctuations. New surveys must be received in
the Office of Allowances via eAllowances prior to opening of
business in Washington on the 20th of the month in order to
ensure they are analyzed/published effective the first
calendar day of the following month. Please note: if the 20th
of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, surveys must be
received on the last normal Washington business day preceding
the 20th.


5. The following are key points to remember:

(a) Submit Updated Hotel & Restaurant Data Annually: Ensuring
that the rates / costs are checked at least once a year
reassures all travelers of their accuracy. Please note that
hotel and restaurant cost data received via eAllowances prior
to the 20th calendar day of the month will be analyzed for
publication with an effective date of the first calendar day
of the next month (e.g. a survey received on June 17 would
carry an effective date of July 1). Survey data received
after the 20th calendar day will not be published until the
following month (e.g. a survey received on June 21 would carry
an effective date of August 1).

(b) Make Per Diem Rate Reviews a Part of Special Event
Planning: POTUS visits, summits, major conferences and other
events all can quickly make the "normal" published rate
obsolete, even if only for a very short period of time. The
simplest route is to ensure travelers are authorized "actual
expenses" at up to 300% of the published per diem rate per 14
FAM 576.2-2 or FTR 301-11.303. Sometimes even that is not
adequate. In such cases, Allowances can make a short term
change to per diem rates - - just make sure you communicate
early in the planning process with the Allowances Team
Supervisor covering your region (see para 6). You'll need to
start by providing the reason for a short term adjustment;
later, you'll need to submit via eAllowances the special cost
data in the timeline outlined in paragraph 4, above.

(c) Consider Other Locations: If there are other sites where
USG employees / contractors travel relatively frequently, but
that are not listed as separate locations, please consider
collecting and submitting survey data for those locations. It
matters not whether the employees / contractors are under COM
authority. Consult with the Allowance Team Supervisor for
your region (see para 6) to determine if the location needs to
be added to the eAllowances location table and then activated
so that you can enter the data. Likewise, if you find that a
site now listed separately is no longer a frequent TDY
destination, please contact your Team Supervisor about
eliminating it from the listings and saving you the work of
reporting on it.


6. Contact information for the Office of Allowances is found
on our OpenNet site at http://aoprals.a.state.gov and on the

STATE 00064075 002 OF 002


internet at http://aoprals.state.gov. Select "About Us:
Information" at the bottom of the left navigation bar where
you will find contact information and geographical assignments
for Team Supervisors Audrey Thurman and Joyce McNeil. For
general inquiries, email AllowancesO@state.gov. That mailbox
is monitored by Regulations Specialist Marco Cuniberti.
Urgent matters can be called into Allowances during normal
Washington business hours at (202) 261-8700.

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