6 II. FINANCE.

3. Budget of 1910.

The following table gives a summary comparison of the budgets of 1909 and 1910 1910. 1909.

Estimated receipts Estimated expenditure— Ordinary .. Special .. . • Total Estimated surplus £E.

14,088,000 1,062,000 £E. 15,350,000 15,150,000 200,000 £E.

13,900,000 950,000 £E 15,100,000 14,850,000 250,000 The principal changes introduced into the new budget are stated in the note of the Financial Adviser as follows:— “ In view of the present economic situation of the country it is impossible to count on any improvement in 1910 in the revenue under the important heads of Customs and Bailwajs ; the estimated receipts from these sources show reductions as compared with 1909 of £E. 75,000 and £E. 95,000. On the other hand the revenues from certain other sources show a satisfactory expansion.

“The total receipts of the Direct Taxes Department are estimated at £E. 5,565,000 as against £E. 5,434,000 in 1909.

“ As in 1909, a good flood has rendered it unnecessary to provide for any loss of revenue on account of Sharaki; the new rates of tax which are coming into force in Keneh and Assouan are expected to bring in an extra £E. 12,000 ; an increase of £E. 20,000 is foreseen on account of tax on land newly brought under perennial irrigation in Minieh, Beni Souef, and Girgeh, while land under temporary tax should as usual yield an increase of £E. 20,000.

“ The general reassessment of house-tax will produce a further increase of £E. 50,000. The total revenue from this source is now more than £E. 312,000, of which £E. 40,000 is the result of the new decree raising Cairo house-tax to 10 ner cent, of the rental value.

“ Though there has been a certain amount of difficulty in the collection of direct taxes during the last two years, it is satisfactory to note that the arrears are still insignificant in comparison with the large sums collected. The total of arrears, which at the end of 1907 amounted to £E. 11,000, rose in the following year to £E. 37,000 ; at the end of the present year they will probably have fallen to much the same figure as two years ago.

“ The development of the work of the Native Courts and the introduction of a new judicial tariff in the Mehkemeh Sharieh make it possible to expect an increase of revenue of £E. 20,000 from these sources.

“In consequence of the great diminution in land transactions, a reduction of £E. 200,000 in the receipts of the Mixed Courts was foreseen in the budget of 1909 ; this estimate, however, has proved unduly pessimistic, and £E. 60,000 has been added to the figure of the current year.

“ ‘ Various receipts’ show a net increase of £E. 30,000, due to the contribution of the Tramway Company to the works connected with the new Boulak bridge, while the remaining revenues are expected to yield a further increase of £E. 30,000.

“The total net increase in the revenue as a whole is thus expected to reach £E. 101,000. To this falls to be added a further apparent increase of £E. 149,000 arising from a change in the method of accounting for expenses payable from the Badalieh (Military Exemption) Fund. Since 1908 the revenue from this source has been shown in a special account and devoted to improving the situation of the conscripts in the army and police and to increasing the pay of police volunteers.

“ In accordance with the recommendation of the Legislative Council and with a view to showing clearly in the budget the total sums expended on the army and on the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.