XN000022-1994-11-09 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1994

MAXIMUM LIMIT OF ELECTION EXPENSES INCREASED

* * *

THE

THE

MAXIMUM

COUNCIL

FURTHER

DAMAGED

OR

GOVERNMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ANNOUNCED THAT LIMIT OF ELECTION EXPENSES FOR THE MARCH 1995 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WOULD BE INCREASED FROM $70,000 TO $100,000, AND A $20,000 WOULD ALSO BE PRESCRIBED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF STOLEN PUBLICITY MATERIALS.

DETAILS

OF

OF

SCALE THE INCREASE ARE SET OUT IN THE MAXIMUM ELECTION EXPENSES (MUNICIPAL COUNCILS) ORDER 1994 UNDER THE CORRUPT FRIDAY AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES ORDINANCE. THE ORDER WILL BE GAZETTED ON (NOVEMBER 11).

"IN SETTING THE ELECTION EXPENSES LIMITS, OUR BASIC PRINCIPLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

AS THAT THE LIMITS MUST NOT BE SO LOW

TO HAMPER CANDIDATES FROM MOUNTING EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNS, NOR SO HIGH AS TO THOSE WHO ARE FINANCIALLY LESS WELL-OFF FROM RUNNING GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

DETER ELECTIONS, A

||

CURRENT THE

$70,000

ELECTION EXPENSES

FOR LIMIT

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS WAS SET IN 1990. IT WAS BASED ON VARIOUS BASIC PRODUCTION EXPENDITURE ITEMS SUCH AS PRINTING OF PUBLICITY MATERIALS, OF BANNERS, PLACARDS AND POSTERS THAT WERE

EMPLOYED COMMONLY CANDIDATES IN THEIR ELECTIONEERING ACTIVITIES.

14

BY

YEARS. THE 1995 INTO ACCOUNT

'SINCE THEN, THE COSTS FOR THESE EXPENDITURE ITEMS HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY OWING TO INFLATION BY ABOUT 40 PER CENT. ADDITIONALLY, CANVASSING ACTIVITIES HAVE BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED OVER THE WE BELIEVE THEREFORE THAT THE ELECTION EXPENSES LIMIT FOR MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS SHOULD BE ADJUSTED TO TAKE

INFLATIONARY THE

EFFECTS AND THE INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE ITEMS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

BOTH

TT

THE

VARIETY

OF

THE ORDER ALSO PROVIDES THAT STARTING FROM

1995 THE MARCH COUNCIL ELECTIONS, MUNICIPAL

CANDIDATES IN ALL FUTURE ELECTIONS SHOULD, ON TOP OF THE LEGALLY PRESCRIBED ELECTION EXPENSES LIMIT, ALLOWED TO SPEND UP TO A FURTHER SPECIFIED AMOUNT FOR THE OF DAMAGED OR STOLEN PUBLICITY MATERIALS.

BE

REPLACEMENT

TO

DECLARATION

INFORMATION

COMMISSION PREVENT ABUSE, THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION SUITABLY REVISE THE

AND STATUTORY FORM RELATING TO THE RETURN ON ELECTION EXPENSES TO REQUIRE CANDIDATES TO PROVIDE ΤΟ ACCOUNT FOR ANY EXPENDITURE UNDER THE ADDITIONAL

WILL

CEILING, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

0

NEW MEASURES TO STREAMLINE ADMINISTERING OF LOCAL VESSELS * * * * *

THE

J

A

MARINE DEPARTMENT WILL FROM JANUARY 1995 IMPLEMENT NUMBER

NEW MEASURES TO STREAMLINE OF

THE

OF ADMINISTERING

LOCAL

AND VESSELS

TO FURTHER IMPROVE MARINE SAFETY, A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TO GIVE LEGAL BACKING TO THESE CHANGES, AMENDMENTS TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION UNDER THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL AND THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ORDINANCE ARE BEING INTRODUCED.

CURRENT ORDINANCE

/ONE OF

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