Tokelau revenue totals $4.72m

TOKELAU’S 1990-91 budget meet

ing was held recently in Apia because it was judged to be too expensive to hold the discussions in Tokelau itself. The territory, which is under New Zealand control, has its administration in the Western Samoa

capital, and holding any lengthy meeting

in Tokelau would have involved paying for a ship to stand off the islands for up to a week.

Instead, delegates from the three atolls were brought to Apia, and the budget meeting was preceded by a four-day workshop to discuss a new budget format.

The 1989 report of the Administrator of Tokelau shows that the territory had total revenue for the year of NZ54.72 million (US$2.B million), of which all but NZ5754,039 came from New Zealand assistance programmes. The country spent NZ$5.7B million, leaving a deficit of NZ$l.O5 million. The main budget items were salaries (NZ$l.BB million),

transport and communications (NZ$l million) and education (NZ5749,000).

The local revenue was generated from

shipping and freight charges, sales of

postage stamps, handicrafts and coins, customs duties and fees from the exclu sive economic zone it is expected the country will earn up to U 5562,500 a year from the tuna treaty under which United States fishing vessels pay fees to island nations.

New Zealand is continuing its plan to make the Tokelau islands more economi cally self-sufficient. The 1989 details several projects: A root crop multiplica tion scheme with United Nations assist ance, control of rats and beetles, expand ing the number of pigs, fowls and ducks (including the interbreeding of exotic breeds with local pigs) and study of tuna stocks. A survey of clam and pearl oyster stocks was completed, and there are plans for re-seeding and re-stocking of both species. □

Tokelau: New Zealand plans to make it more self-sufficient.