Notice on the Issuance of the Measures for the Administration of Travel Expenses of Central and State Organs

Cai Xing [2013] No. 531

　　To the various departments of the CPC Central Committee, the ministries and commissions of the State Council, its directly affiliated institutions, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, all people’s organizations, the general offices of the democratic parties, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:
　　In order to implement the CPC Central Committee’s Eight-point Decision on Improving Party and Government Work Styles and Strengthening Ties with the Masses, along with its detailed rules for implementation; to advance institutional mechanisms for practicing thrift and combating waste; and to strengthen and standardize the management of travel expenses in central and state organs, we have formulated the Measures for the Administration of Travel Expenses of Central and State Organs, in accordance with the Regulations on Practicing Thrift and Combating Waste in Party and Government Organs. These measures are hereby issued to you and shall take effect as of January 1, 2014. Should any issues arise during implementation, please report them to us promptly.
　　All provincial, autonomous regional, directly administered municipal, and separately planned city finance departments (bureaus) are requested to, in accordance with these Measures and taking into account their specific circumstances, promptly revise their local regulations on the administration of travel expenses for Party and government organs, and submit such revisions for record with the Ministry of Finance.
　　Attachment: Measures for the Administration of Travel Expenses of Central and State Organs

Ministry of Finance

December 31, 2013

Attachment:

Administrative Measures for Travel Expenses of Central and State Organs

Chapter I General Provisions

　　Article 1: In order to strengthen and standardize the management of domestic travel expenses for central and state organs, and to promote strict economy and combat waste, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Regulations on Promoting Frugality and Combating Waste in Party and Government Organs.
　　Article 2 These Measures shall apply to central and state organs, as well as public institutions managed in accordance with the Civil Service Law (hereinafter referred to as “central units”).
　　For the purposes of these Measures, “central and state organs” refers to the various departments of the CPC Central Committee, the ministries and commissions of the State Council, its directly affiliated institutions, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, as well as the people’s organizations, the central committees of the democratic parties, and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.
　　Article 3. Travel expenses refer to the costs incurred by staff members on official business trips to locations outside their regular place of work, including intercity transportation, accommodation, meal allowances, and local transportation expenses.
　　Article 4: Central government agencies shall establish and improve a system for approving official business travel. Such travel must be submitted for approval to the relevant leaders of the agency in accordance with prescribed procedures, with strict controls on the number of travelers and the duration of the trip; travel expense budgets shall be rigorously managed to keep expenditures within set limits; any travel activities lacking substantive content or a clear official purpose are strictly prohibited; disguised tourism under any pretext or in any form is forbidden; and inter‑agency study exchanges and fact‑finding missions conducted in other localities without substantive content are also prohibited.
　　Article 5: The Ministry of Finance shall formulate travel expense standards on the basis of regional, hierarchical, and project‑specific criteria, and shall make timely adjustments in accordance with changes in the level of economic and social development, market prices, and consumer spending.

Chapter 2: Inter-City Transportation Expenses

　　Article 6: Inter-city transportation expenses refer to the costs incurred by staff members when traveling on official business to locations outside their regular place of work, including expenses for travel by train, ship, airplane, and other modes of transportation.
　　Article 7: Personnel on official business shall travel by means of transportation in accordance with the prescribed class. The classes of transportation are set forth in the following table:

For officials at the ministerial level and equivalent positions on official business, one accompanying person may travel in the same class of transportation when required by work duties.
　　If travel is undertaken in a class lower than the prescribed standard, any excess costs shall be borne by the individual.
　　Article 8: When multiple modes of transportation are available to the destination of an official trip, personnel on assignment shall, without compromising official duties or compromising safety, choose the most economical and convenient option.
　　Article 9: For air travel, the Civil Aviation Development Fund and the fuel surcharge may be reimbursed upon presentation of supporting documentation.
　　Article 10: Passengers traveling by air, rail, ship, or other modes of transportation may purchase one policy of transportation accident insurance per trip. If the employer has arranged for group transportation accident insurance, no additional individual purchase is required.

Chapter 3 Accommodation Fees

　　Article 11: Accommodation expenses refer to the room rental costs incurred by staff members when staying at hotels (including restaurants and guesthouses, the same shall apply hereinafter) during official business trips.
　　Article 12. The finance departments of certain localities shall establish maximum allowable rates for accommodation expenses. The finance departments (bureaus) of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and cities separately listed in the national plan shall, based on local economic and social development levels, market prices, consumption patterns, and other relevant factors, submit proposed maximum accommodation rates for their respective cities (including provincial capitals, municipalities directly under the central government, and cities separately listed in the national plan; the same shall apply hereinafter) to the Ministry of Finance. After the Ministry of Finance conducts a comprehensive review and provides feedback, which is then submitted to the local authorities for examination and confirmation, the Ministry shall issue a unified set of maximum accommodation rates applicable to staff members of central government agencies on official business in the relevant regions.
　　For cities where accommodation prices exhibit pronounced seasonal fluctuations, the maximum allowable accommodation expense may be appropriately increased by a specified percentage during peak season; detailed provisions shall be issued separately by the Ministry of Finance.
　　Article 13: Personnel at the ministerial level and equivalent shall be accommodated in standard suites, while personnel at the department or bureau level and below shall be accommodated in single rooms or standard rooms.
　　Article 14: Personnel on official business shall, within the accommodation expense limits corresponding to their rank, select hotels that are safe, economical, and convenient.

Chapter Four: Meal Allowance

　　Article 15. Meal allowances refer to the subsidies provided to staff members for meals during official business trips.
　　Article 16: Meal allowances shall be calculated based on the actual (calendar) number of days of the business trip and shall be used on a lump-sum basis in accordance with the prescribed standards.
　　Article 17: The finance departments of certain localities shall formulate standards for meal allowances. The finance departments (bureaus) of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and cities separately listed in the national plan shall, based on local economic and social development levels, market prices, consumption patterns, and other relevant factors, and with reference to the standards applicable to official reception meals and conference catering in the respective cities, submit proposed meal allowance standards to the Ministry of Finance. After the Ministry of Finance conducts a comprehensive review and provides feedback, and upon confirmation by the local authorities following their own review, the Ministry of Finance shall issue a unified standard for meal allowances applicable to central government personnel on business trips to the relevant regions.
　　Article 18: Personnel on official business shall arrange their own meals. Where meals are uniformly provided by the receiving unit, they shall pay the corresponding meal allowance to that unit.

Chapter 5: In-City Transportation Expenses

　　Article 19: Urban transportation expenses refer to the costs incurred by staff members for local transportation during official business trips.
　　Article 20: In-city transportation expenses shall be calculated based on the actual (calendar) number of travel days, at a flat rate of RMB 80 per person per day.
　　Article 21: When business travelers are provided with transportation by the receiving unit or another entity, they shall pay the relevant fees to such unit or entity.

Chapter 6: Reimbursement Management

　　Article 22: Personnel on official business shall strictly adhere to the prescribed standards for travel expenses, which shall be borne by their respective organizations and may not be passed on to subordinate units, enterprises, or other entities.
　　Article 23: Inter-city transportation expenses shall be reimbursed upon presentation of receipts corresponding to the class of travel. Ticketing fees, as well as approved change‑over or refund fees and transportation accident insurance premiums, shall also be reimbursed upon submission of supporting documentation.
　　Accommodation expenses shall be reimbursed on an actual‑expense basis, up to the standard limit, upon presentation of valid receipts.
　　Meal allowances shall be reimbursed according to the standards applicable to the destination of the business trip; during travel, meal allowances shall be reimbursed based on the standard applicable to the final destination reached that day.
　　In-city transportation expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the prescribed standards.
　　If travel expenses are not incurred in accordance with the regulations, any amounts exceeding the approved limit shall be borne by the individual.
　　Article 24: Upon completion of an official business trip, staff members shall promptly process reimbursement procedures. When submitting travel expense claims, they must provide supporting documents, including the travel approval form, airline tickets, transportation tickets, and accommodation invoices.
　　Accommodation fees, airfare expenses, and other expenditures shall be settled using official credit cards in accordance with relevant regulations.
　　Article 25: The finance department shall rigorously review travel expenses in accordance with applicable regulations and shall not reimburse any expenses incurred without prior approval or that exceed the approved scope or standards.
　　If accommodation was actually incurred but no invoice for the accommodation fee is available, neither the accommodation expenses nor the intercity transportation costs, meal allowances, or local transportation expenses shall be reimbursed.

Chapter 7: Supervision and Accountability

　　Article 26: Each unit shall strengthen internal controls over its staff’s business travel activities and expense reimbursement, and assume responsibility for its travel approval procedures, as well as for the budgeting and scale‑control of travel expenses. Relevant leaders and financial personnel shall rigorously review and verify travel expense claims to ensure that supporting documents are legally obtained and that the information is accurate, complete, and compliant. Personnel who undertake unauthorized travel or incur and reimburse travel expenses in violation of applicable regulations shall be subject to strict disciplinary action.
　　Primary budgetary units shall strengthen oversight and inspection of their subordinate budgetary units, promptly address any issues identified, and report significant matters to the Ministry of Finance.
　　All units shall conscientiously accept audit oversight by the auditing authorities over official travel activities and related expenditure.
　　Article 27 The Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with relevant departments, shall conduct supervision and inspection over the management and use of travel expenses by central government agencies. The main contents include:
　　(1) Whether the unit’s travel approval system is sound and whether travel activities have been duly approved in accordance with applicable regulations;
　　(2) Whether the scope and standards of travel expense expenditures comply with applicable regulations;
　　(3) Whether travel expense reimbursement complies with applicable regulations;
　　(4) Whether travel expenses have been passed on to subordinate units, enterprises, or other entities;
　　(5) Other matters relating to the management and use of travel expenses.
　　Article 28: Personnel on official business shall not make any requests of the receiving unit beyond the scope of normal official duties; during their travel, they shall not accept banquets, sightseeing tours, or non‑work‑related visits paid for with public funds in violation of relevant regulations; nor shall they accept gifts, cash gifts, local specialties, or other such items.
　　Article 29: Any entity or individual that, in violation of the provisions of these Measures, engages in any of the following acts shall be held accountable in accordance with laws and regulations:
　　(1) Where the organization lacks an official travel approval system or where travel approval controls are lax;
　　(2) Those who falsely report and fraudulently claim travel expenses;
　　(3) Unauthorized expansion of the scope of travel expense expenditures or raising of expenditure standards;
　　(4) Failure to reimburse travel expenses in accordance with the prescribed regulations;
　　(5) Those who pass on travel expenses;
　　(6) Other acts that violate these Measures.
　　Where any of the acts listed in the preceding paragraph is committed, the Ministry of Finance, in conjunction with the relevant departments, shall order rectification; the funds found to be in violation shall be recovered, and a public notice may be issued depending on the circumstances. The persons directly responsible and the relevant persons in charge shall be referred to their respective employers for administrative disciplinary action in accordance with applicable regulations. Where there are grounds to suspect a violation of the law, the case shall be referred to the judicial authorities for handling.

Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions

　　Article 30: When staff members travel to attend conferences or training sessions and the organizing unit provides unified arrangements for meals and accommodation, the costs of such meals and lodging, as well as local transportation expenses during the conference or training period, shall be borne by the organizing unit in accordance with applicable regulations. Travel expenses incurred for round-trip travel to and from the conference or training venue shall be reimbursed by the staff member’s employing unit in accordance with relevant provisions.
　　Article 31: Public institutions that are not managed in accordance with the Civil Service Law shall implement these Measures by analogy.
　　Each unit shall, in accordance with these Measures and taking into account its own specific circumstances, formulate detailed operational procedures.
　　The administrative measures for travel expenses of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force shall be separately prescribed by reference to these Measures.
　　Article 32: This Measures shall be interpreted by the Ministry of Finance.
　　Article 33 This Measures shall come into force on January 1, 2014. The “Notice of the Ministry of Finance on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Travel Expenses of Central State Organs and Public Institutions” (Cai Xing [2006] No. 313), issued on November 13, 2006, is hereby repealed. Any other provisions concerning the administration of travel expenses of central state organs and public institutions that are inconsistent with these Measures shall be implemented in accordance with these Measures.