In 2010, systems@work, our Czech-based subsidiary developed and supplied the software that controls expenses for the UK’s Members of Parliament. It was a huge, prestigious and successful project that we were delighted to win, and involved adapting our expense management package expense@work to fit the requirements of IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority), the body that regulates salaries and expenses for MPs.

Through expense@work MPs can claim allowable parliamentary expenses against strict polices and budgets (not a single drop of alcohol, for example!) and then see their expenses published on a public website for their constituents to see. Budgets depend on the proximity of their constituency to London, and other factors such as number of dependent children.

Following on from that success, we tried to interest the Parliament of our home country, the Czech Republic, in our system.

‘Ah, no, that’s completely under control,’ we were told.

Sadly, we got the same retort from most of the Parliaments we approached in our region and beyond.

So, it’s good news that the new finance minister Andrej Babiš is stirring things up again, suggesting that the Czech Republic needs a body like IPSA to regulate MPs’ remuneration. We contacted his office and left him our telephone number.

Andrej, we’re waiting for the call!