ThoseWorking conditions –
Federal officials work in luxury spas
Senior managers from the Federal Roads Office organize seminars in 4-star hotels. At state expense.
Published today at 6:07 p.m.
Leukerbad, renowned for its thermal waters, attracted certain Ofrou executives for a seminar at the taxpayer’s expense.
Christian Brun/VQH
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- Executives from Ofrou organized a seminar in Leukerbad.
- The event cost 1190 francs and included a hotel stay.
- A week later, another seminar took place in Thun.
- Costs in Thun exceeded Ofrou’s regulatory limits.
On August 25, the head of internal audit of the Federal Roads Office (Ofrou) spent three nights, breakfast included, at Hotel 51 in Leukerbad (VS), with her assistant . Reason: “online seminar”. Cost: 1190 francs. This is because the establishment, a 4 star, takes great care of its customers, with sensory showers, Swiss pine sauna, steam bath with alpine herbs, among others, specifies the “SonntagsBlick” this Sunday.
The Sunday newspaper carried out the research a little further and found that, a week later, the two women did it again, at the 4-star superior Seepark hotel in Thun (BE), just half an hour from the offices of Ofrou, this time taking with them three other executives from the office.
-The two-day workshop for the group was once again expensed, and not least. Accommodation with breakfast costs 275 francs per person, to which must be added a “conference package” including seminar rooms and business lunches for a total of 1536 francs. To relax, the five executives also treated themselves to a visit to the caves of Saint-Béatus, an additional 200 francs, still at state expense.
These expenses do not comply with Ofrou’s internal regulations, which stipulate that the maximum amount for overnight stays away from home (breakfast included) is 250 francs per night. A shame for the internal audit department, which is supposed to monitor business processes and check expense reports, comments SonntagsBlick.
The Federal Roads Office also reports to the Department of the Environment and Transport, headed by Albert Rösti, UDC federal councilor, a fervent supporter of the Confederation’s savings plan. Contacted by the newspaper, Ofrou specified that the workshop which was held in Leukerbad had to be organized peacefully and without disruption. The office spokesperson admits that the costs of the seminar in Thun “exceeded the limits set by the regulation”. However, he adds, this seminar “must be considered as a package with a similar workshop in 2023”.
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