XCC (86) 182
Detailed Financial Arrangements
Page
5
11
It is proposed that RTHK's Head of Expenditure (Head 160) would remain in the Estimates. Similar to the arrangements for the Housing Department, however, all RTHK's expenditure would be
be accounted for by a one line vote under "other recurrent expenditure". This expenditure would be recoverable from the Board, which would receive its funds by means of two subventions, one from the Secretary for Administrative Services and Information (for radio and public affairs TV) and one from the Director of Education (for Educational TV). The Director of Broadcasting, as the Controlling Officer for RTHK would report in the memorandum note of the Estimates on the activities of RTHK and account for its expenditure on those activities. The establishment of RTHK would continue to be shown in the Estimates as at present.
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The statutory Board would have RTHK as its executive arm. The Director of Broadcasting will be responsible to the Board for implementation of the Board's policies and programmes within the ambit of the RTHK terms of reference and available
resources.
Mechanism for Preparation and Submission of Estimates
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year
and
a
The Board would seek funds from the Administration in the following manner. Each August, the Board would submit to the Governor a planned programme of activities together with a
for the current expenditure breakdown matching expenditure forecast of activities and expenditure for the subsquent four years. On the basis of this, the Administration would indicate to the Board both a provisional acceptable level of expenditure an "indicated level" of for the upcoming Estimates year and
for two acceptable expenditure
In October subsequent years. each year, the Board would then submit to Finance Branch, via the Secretary for Administrative Services and Information and the Director of Education, draft Estimates for the upcoming financial year. After any adjustment between Finance Branch and the Director of Broadcasting (representing the Board) the draft Estimates would be submitted to Finance Committee as part of the Administration's annual draft Estimates
draft Estimates submission in the form of the two one-line subventions described in paragraph 11 above.
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The main purpose of the above arrangement is to allow RTHK, on the advice of the Board, to adjust priorities and programmes within a financial year, without prior approval from Finance Branch as long as
no longer term these changes have
the same implications
time, recurrent expenditure.
will allow the Administration the
these
for arrangements
At
opportunity to assess the level of funding required by RTHK as