WAR GRATUITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 78, 24 May 1946, Page 2

WAR GRATUITY

DISCOUNT ON DEBTS ROLE OF REHABILITATION The manner in which the Rehabilitation Department assists ex-ser-vicemen wishing to pay approved types of debts out of their war gratuity account and still obtain the 5 per cent, discount on such transactions is explained in a statement from the department. This statement is an amplification of a statement recently made on the same subject by the Acting-Minister of Finance, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. “Creditors envisaged fall into two distinct groups,” says the statement. “The first comprises Government Departments to whom an ex-service-man might owe a sum which he wishes to clear, and the! second, private firms or individuals. In the first case the ex-serviceman approaches the Department concerned. In the second instance he appoints the Postmaster-General, or rather the local postmaster as his agent to pay his creditor the sum specified. The Procedure “Where debts are owed to private firms or individuals, Ministerial authority for approval or otherwise has been delegated to the Rehabilitation Department. An ex-service-man wishing to pay such debts and still obtain his 5 per cent, bonus must first apply to the local rehabilitation office, armed with an invoice from the firm or person to whom he owes the money. When his application- is approved, "the post office is notified to pay the debt, 85 per cent, of which is liquidated out of the Serviceman’s war gratuity account and the remaining 5 per cent, from the War Expenses Account.” The statement recapitulates the types of debts to which the concession applies. These, provided for under Clause 10 of the War Service Gratuities Regulations of 1945, are: For the purpose of purchasing a home, or furniture, or any other real or personal property for the investor, or for the purpose of establishing the investor in any business, profession, trade or occupation. Full details of procedure have not been finalised, concludes the statement, but these should be ready within a few days.