THE STATE PUBLIC SERVICE GENERAL ORDERS, 1996

Chapter:Chapter 5
Chapter Heading:CORRESPONDENCE AND OFFICIAL ROUTINE
Part No.:Part 3
Part Heading:OFFICE ROUTINE AND PROCEDURE
GO No.:209
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Use of official telephones or handphones 		209. - (1) Official telephones, whether installed in an office or an officer's residence, or handphones are intended primarily to facilitate Government business. They shall be used for both local and trunk calls only to the extent that such use will materially assist in the despatch of official business and where a letter, telegram, facsimile or electronic mail transmission will not suffice for the purpose.

(2) It is the duty of a Head of Department to record or cause to be recorded all telephones or handphones installed in offices under his control including details of all private trunk calls made, the name of theofficer making the call, its date and time, the called subscriber’s exchange and number and the duration of the call.

(3) All private trunk calls made by an officer from an official telephone or an handphone shall be for that officer’s personal account and he shall be billed with the cost of such calls accordingly.

(4) All trunk calls made from an official telephone at an officer's residence or by handphone provided by the Government shall, in the first instance, be for that officer’s personal account and he shall be billed with the cost of such calls accordingly:

Provided that such officer may make application for reimbursement of the cost of any such trunk call necessarily made in connection with official business.