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arise out of the existence in the territories of systems of law differing to some extent, but we recommend that the federal Legislature should have power to provide for proceedings by, and against the federal Government.

age 394 of 587.

Page 394 The Minister for African Interests and the African Affairs Board

95. We recommend the setting up of an African Affairs Board of nine members under a Chairman who would be the Minister for African Interests. The composition of the Board and the powers and functions of the Board and the Minister are described in Chapter IV above and in Annex III.

Finance

96. Recommendations on financial arrangements are given in Annex IX. As the federal Government and the territorial Governments would be financially autonomous each would require its own finance department. The federal Ministry of Finance would be generally responsible for the raising of federal revenue and the control of federal expenditure.

97. On a rough estimate it has been calculated that expenditure on services recommended to be a federal responsibility (not including railways) would be of the order of £10 million. We recommend that customs revenue should be declared federal; the customs revenue of the three territories would amount in all to approximately £41 million. In addition there would be posts and telegraphs revenue of about £1 million. We recommend that the federal Government should be entitled to impose income tax. The territorial Govern- ments would retain their present right to impose income tax and to decide their income tax policies. We recommend that the Economic Advisory Com- mittee should co-ordinate income tax policy so as to ensure that neither the federal Government nor any territorial Government took action which would prejudice the clear needs of any of the other Governments. Before the federal scheme came into force a fiscal conference representing the three territories should meet to recommend the terms of a general financial settlement between the federal Government and the Governments of the three territories.

Citizenship

98. There would be advantages in the institution of a common citizenship for British Central Africa although its introduction would encounter difficulties arising from the differing constitutional status of the three territories. This subject is dealt with more fully in Annex X. We have not thought it necessary to reach positive conclusions in the matter and recommend that it should be given consideration at a later stage.

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CHAPTER VI

CONCLUSION

99. We have discharged to the best of our ability the task which was entrusted to us. In the course of four weeks we have discussed in all its aspects the problem of the closer association of the Central African terri- tories. This would not have been possible in the time but for the provision to the members of the Conference before it opened of a comprehensive body of factual material prepared by officials of the Central African Governments and the Central African Council. We are happy to have reached unanimous conclusions; our success in doing so is undoubtedly due to the sense which