A WEEK ago, the social media was on fire, following the disclosure of a letter from Finance permanent secretary George Guvamatanga calling for line ministries and other agencies to desist from making unauthorised travel and subsistence allowance claims at a time the nation is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The public fury was understandable, but, however, misplaced and if not an indictment on how the Finance ministry and the Public Service Commission have handled the welfare of the frontline staff who have been going to work during the lockdown period, which started on March 30, before the extensions on April 19 and later on May 1, effectively up to May 17. Whatever happens from here, there is no doubt that the issue of civil servants claiming allowances will continue to dog the public debate. However, contrary to what has been penned across the media, public officials, that is junior and middle-ranking civil servants, who are the frontline staff, do not constitute bigwigs, which has become a term commonly used to show disdain for powerful figures especially in the political circles and the echelons of bureaucracy. These are ordinary men and women, who have to bear the brunt of regular underpayment of wages. Emotions aside, that these people would then go on to claim travel and subsistence allowances, which is subject to the approved rates by Treasury does not make their acts inhumane, or immoral especially in light of the increasing vulnerability of the local population and returnees from South Africa, Botswana and even Mozambique. The role of government is to cater for all its people during these COVID-19 times, without of course abrogating its responsibility to pay dues to civil servants who run the machinery of government. The public scorn may have been misdirected, which requires people to understand how government functions. World over, a bureaucracy is run on instructions which are provided through tangible instructions and regular circulars. Travel and subsistence allowances are, therefore, based on a number of guiding considerations such as the inflationary environment and general macro-economic indicators which affect civil servants like anyone else. Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 (Public Service Regulations of 2000), as amended is instructive on the general conditions of service for civil servants. Section 21(1)(a) under Part V on allowances obliges the State to meet expenses for official purposes which include travel on duty. Section 22 on official travel confers the privilege on members authorised by the ministry head to claim approved rates set by the commission (Public Service) in concurrence with the Minister of Finance. While the governments resource purse has definitely been affected by COVID-19 which has heavily reduced the tax base, it is, however, worrying that the authorities did not provide regulations, or a particular statutory instrument which addresses the pertinent subject of allowances during COVID-19. Had this been done, any actions inconsistent with expectations would have been dealt wi