Fiji's 1954 Expenditure
pp. 32-33 · Read in the full issue
Lower at £4,140,000
THE following are highlights from the Budget Session of the Fiji Legislative Council held in Suva during November. • TAXATION—No new or in creased taxation will be introduced in 1954, pending receipt of a report awaited from the Fiscal Committee giving a comprehensive review of the Colony’s finances. Estimated expenditure for 1954, somewhat lower than in the two preceding years, is expected to be £4,140,000.
Only Government Departments in which expenditure will increase are
Agriculture, by nearly 30%, as part of the economic development policy: Posts and Telegraphs, 20% in revenue-earning expenditure; Estab lishment Head of Works, 12i%, to secure better supervision; Educa tion, 12%.
• Development Nearly
£898,000 will be spent on develop ment projects in 1954, as compared
with £840,000 this year. Work ii hand or completed this year in eludes geological, soil, aerial, am hydro-electric surveys which wil prove of value for the future.
Cocoa and grass experimentatioi is proceeding. There has been im portant developments in the tele communications field.
There can be no expansion of am
welfare programme during the com ing year. These were conditioned by earning power of the Colony.
The ten-year development plan will, during 1954, be financed largely by the Fiji Development Loan which was floated in 1952 and had re alised £1,305,000. This fund should carry the plan on into the first few months of 1955.