PUBLIC servants discharging their obligations outside their official duty stations may again have every reason to smile following the decision by President Samia Suluhu Hassan to endorse the permit to hike per diem rates for them and extra duty allowances.

The decision by the Head of State was announced on Friday by Permanent Secretary in the President's Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance, Dr Laurian Ndumbaro.

He said new rates will come into effect on July 1st this year, a move that received much accolades from public servants from across the country. Amid a big applause from members, Dr Ndumbaro announced the decision when speaking at a two-day meeting with heads of Human Resources and Administration from the Central Government, Public Entities and Local Government Authorities which ended on Friday.

According to the permanent secretary, the permit from President Samia hiked all per diems for local working duties for senior officials from 120,000/- to 250,000/- and that public servants' per diem at lower level had been increased from 80,000/- to 100,000/-.

Dr Ndumbaro further said that the president had also increased allowances for Extra Duties (ED) at all levels from 15,000/- to 30,000/- for public servant at the lower level.

At the middle level the amount had increased from 20,000/- to 40,000/- and at the highest level from 30,000/- to 60,000/-. He said the new rates would be effected beginning next Financial Year 2022/2023, and that they would be fully implemented through the same budget, adding that public institutions should not ask for budgets to cover the new rates.