1976-1977 — Page 23

The

2.17 There was an increasing requirement for officers to use their private vehicles for duty journeys and to claim for mileage allowance. total expenditure incurred for the year on mileage allowance and travelling expenses, including running expenses of vehicles, thus rose considerably to $3,325,168.

Public Works Kecurrent

Buildings and Lands

2.18

Recurrent expenditure at $52,292,666, showed an increase of $3,838,611 over that for 1975-76 of $48,454,055, divided among the Offices concerned as follows:

(a)

Architectural Office

(b) Buildings Ordinance Office (c) Crown Lands & Survey Office

1975-76 $

1976-77

$

43.543,972

46,583,160

7,868

2,562

4,902,215

5,706,944

48,454,055

52,292,666

This additional expenditure resulted from an overall increase in approved provisions to Offices to provide for essential items of maintenance deferred in previous years and to maintain more Crown Land for sale and for development.

Engineering

Civil Engineering

2.19 Expenditure incurred by the Civil Engineering Office during the year under review amounted to $43,866,466 as compared with $43,790,274 in 1975-76. The slight increase reflects the higher demand for sand in the building industry but this is being offset by the late delivery of parts and accessories for quarry plant ordered on local and overseas suppliers.

Highways

2.20

During the year under review, recurrent expenditure by the Highways Office amounted to $52,601,936 compared with the 1975-76 figure of $50,734,678. This increase was mainly due to an increase in the number of street and traffic lights that have to be maintained, to an increase in the street lighting charges and to additional expenditure required for emergency repairs as a result of rainstorm damage in August, 1976.

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