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(a) $12,000,000 to meet claims against the Government relating to 1941. During the latter part of that year, the Government requisitioned vehicles, food- stuffs, etc., on a large scale, and the relative claims, where reasonably substantiated, are now being met. (b) $5,000,000 as ex gratia payments to certain cate- gories of Government employees who received no pay or pension for the period of the Japanese occupation.
(c) $3,500,000 for the cost of operating Electricity Companies in the early days following the re-occu- pation when operation on a normal commercial basis was impracticable.
Other abnormally heavy items of expenditure of a non- recurrent nature include:
(d) Education Department (mainly to replace equipment and for building and other grants to schools)
. $1,951,600
(e) Harbour Department and Air Services
(for replacement of equipment, etc.).... 6,476,140 (f) Kowloon-Canton Railway (general repairs
and replacement of locomotives, etc.)... 8,740,000 (g) Public Works Extraordinary (mainly res- toration and replacement of buildings, roads and waterworks)
• •
•
•
(h) Relief Services-Relief of Destitutes, Re-
fugees, etc. (partly recurrent) (i) Cost of the new Department of Supplies, Trade and Industry necessitated by supply difficulties
Public Debt.
16,127,000
2,087,850
1,283,300
The public Debt of the Colony as at the 31st December, 1946, totalled $26,238,000 comprising three issues:-
4% Conversion Loan raised in 1933, and repay-
able not later than the 1st August, 1953....$ 4,838,000
The Sinking Fund of this Loan, which is fully invested, amounted to £176,394.15s. as at the 30th September, 1946. The figure at the 31st December, 1946, is not available.
3% Dollar Loan raised in 1934
32% Dollar Loan raised in 1940.
•
•
•
10,080,000
The two latter loans are redeemable by twenty-five annual drawings which have been suspended since 1941.
11,320,000
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