Estimates-1958 — Page 157

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PART II EXPLANATORY NOTES ON EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES

Estimate 1957/58

Revised estimate 1956/57

Approved estimate 1956/57

Actual expenditure 1955/56

Actual expenditure 1954/55

GENERAL

$561,157,280

484,039,000

493,263,090

402,463,642

373,343,608

The revised estimate of expenditure for the current year is $9.2m. less than the approved estimate. Among the important savings may be mentioned:-

Marine

Police

Subventions

Urban Services & Urban Council, Sanitary Division

$m

1.89

1.18

7.84

1.81

The total savings are in part offset by expenditure not provided in the Estimates, the following heads requiring large supplementary provisions: Miscellaneous Services $6.93m., (as a result of the appropriation of $10m. to the newly-created Local Loans Fund); Kowloon Canton Railway $2.38m. (three new diesel electric locomotives) and Public Works Recurrent $1.2m. (under- estimation).

No new Heads of Expenditure have been created for the 1957/58 Estimates.

The following table shows the relationship between Personal Emoluments, Other Charges Annually Recurrent and Special Expenditure for the four years ending 31st March, 1957:

1954/55

1955/56

1956/57 revised estimate

1957/58

estimate

$m

%

$m

%

$m

%

$m

%

Personal Emoluments

(including pensions)

142.3

Other Charges (Annually Recurrent)...

114.3

38.1 149.8

30.6 120.1

37.2

167.0

34.5

200.0

35.6

29.8

141.8

29.3

153.2

27.3

Special Expenditure (Non-Recurrent).......

116.7

31.3 132.6

33.0

175.2

36.2

208.0

37.1

Total.....

Development Fund.......

Total..

373.3

100.0

402.5 100.0 484.0 100.0 561.2 100.0

2.3

375.6

15.7

418.2

32.3

516.3

49.8

611.0

Appendix B to this Memorandum gives further details from which it will be seen that Personal Emoluments for 1957/58 amount to 56.6% of the total recurrent expenditure as compared with 54.1% and 55.5% for the two preceding years. The recurrent expenditure for 1957/58 amounts to 62.9% of the total expenditure as compared with 63.8% and 67.1% for the two preceding

years.

The draft Estimates provide for 5,946 new posts (excluding supernumerary posts); these include 443 transferred from daily rates in accordance with approved policy, and 2,735 daily-rated posts now provided for as such under Personal Emoluments rather than under Other Charges as in previous years. Appendix A summarizes the establishment under each Head, and explanations of the important increases are included in the sections of this Memorandum dealing with individual Heads of Expenditure.

Falling in line with many other Colonies, annually recurrent votes common to most Heads of Expenditure have been regrouped under composite Administration, Maintenance, and Transport Subheads to achieve more accurate budgetting and to facilitate accounting arrange- ments.

Comparative analyses of expenditure on Education, Medical and Health Services, and Security Measures are furnished as Appendices C, D and E to this Memorandum, whilst the Operating Accounts of the Waterworks for the year ended 31st March, 1956, are also included at Appendix F for information.