NATIONAL FINANCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1939, Page 6

NATIONAL FINANCES

FIGURES FOR HALF YEAR MINISTER FINDS POSITION SATISFACTORY. BUDGET ESTIMATES OF REVENUE SOMEWHAT EXCEEDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The- total revenue for the Dominion for the six monthly period from April 1 to September 30 this year was £14.803,000, according to a statement on the half-yearly accounts by the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) today. Expenditure for the same period totals £16,090,000. Last year's revenue for the same period was £13,400.000. and the expenditure £15.120.000. Mr Nash added that it was. of course, too early to forecast the position for the remainder of the year but to date re venue was coming io hand somewhat in excess of the Budget estimates, while expenditure was being maintained within the relative appropriations. The position was quite satisfactory. Among the main items of revenue for the first half of this financial year (with the returns for the similar period' last year in parenthesis) are: —

Stamp and death duties £1,820,000 (£1,462,000) Interest for the same period totalled £960,000 (£569,000) and other receipts £986,000 (£925,000).

On the expenditure side, under the heading of permanent appropriations, debt services were responsible for an expenditure of £2.550.000 (£3.545,000): Highways, £1.754 000 (£1.511,000); Exchange £792,000 (£774,000); other services £834,000 (£90.000). Under the heading' of annual appropriations, the social services expenditure was £4.280,000 (£5,739.000). and other votes £4.952.000 (£3,467.000).

Customs . £5,459,000 . , (£5,100,000) Beer duty ... £ 540.000 (£577,000) Sales tax ... . £1.300.000 (£1,717,000) Highways ... . £1.752 000 (£1.615.000)