GENERAL AGREEMENT ON ^ S * 1967

Transcription

1 RESTRICTED GENERAL AGREEMENT ON ^ S * 1967 TARIFFS AND TRADE Limited Distribution ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL QUESTIONS Final Bu '.2Ï 1. In accordance with the CONTRACTING PARTIES standing instructions regarding the reporting of any savings accrued ai; the end of the financial year, the Director-General's proposals for appropriation of such savings, the financial position concerning the transfer of credits between sections of the budget, and any advances made from the Working Capital Fund, the Director-General has'the honour to submit the following information for consideration by the CONTRACTING PARTIES. 1 INCOME BUDGET 2. The following amounts were credited as income for 1966: (a) (b) (c) (d) US$2,233,000 in contributions assessed on contracting parties in accordance with the scale of contributions as approved for 1966 (document L./2482/Add.l); US$93,350 in additional contributions assessed on contracting parties in respect of the International Trade Centre (document L/2602); US$3,171 resulting from contributions assessed on two new contracting parties during the financial year 1966 and the adjustment of the United Kingdom contribution due to the accession to GATT of Guyana; US$49, representing miscellaneous income. 3- It should be noted that the additional contributions of US$3,171 assessed during the financial year, referred to in paragraph 2(c) above, were treated as extra budgetary income. Receipts from miscellaneous income exceeded by US$5,35o.87 the amount of US$44,000 originally estimated for this purpose, due to the increased income from investments as a consequence of the high interest rates obtained en short-term investments in At 31 December 1966, contributions in arrears in respect of contracting parties amounted to US$158, (annex A). As regards contributions due from countries having withdrawn from the Agreement, Svria still owes US$5, in

2 Page 2 respect of 1950 and At 31 December 1965 contributions in arrears due from contracting parties amounted to US$118, In accordance with the authority contained in document L/756, paragraph 10, dated 27 November 1957") an advance of US$39,9^6.39 was made from the Working Capital Fund to increase the prevision for contributions in arrears in order to cover all outstanding contributions as at 31 December Under the abovementioned authority subsequent receipts or. sue: outstanding contributions are to be credited to the Working Capital Fund to the extent necessary to reimburse the advance made. II. EXPENDITURE BUDGET 6. The CONTRACTING PARTIES originally appropriated US$2,277,000 for Supplementary appropriations in respect of the International Trade Centre of US$93,350 were authorized by the CONTRACTING PARTIES on 6 April In addition to these appropriations, credits of US$8l,680, arising from the application of new salary scales for the professional category and above effective 1 January 1966, were authorized by the CONTRACTING PARTIES to be financed through savings within the 1966 budget and/or by a withdrawal from the Working Capital Fund. 7. Excess expenditure over authorized credits (US$2,277,000, US$93,350 and US$8l,680) which amounted to US$12,761 was mainly due to (a) the very considerable number of temporary appointments which had to be made, particularly in the Languages Service. on an ad hoc oasis all through the financial year, (b) the high cost of repatriation of a number of staff members upon separation, and (c) the exceptionally high number of documents reproduced and distributed. 3. The CONTRACTING PARTIES were informed in paragraph 5 of document L/2702 that, in order to cover the excess expenditure mentioned in paragraph 7 above, the Director General intended to withdraw the necessary amount from the "10. Finally, the Working Party recommends to the CONTRACTING PARTIES that they authorize the Executive Secretary to include at_the gnd of each financial year the arrears oj^jjcntributioris in the provision for outstanding contributions which was set up in_ 1953: ÎSL accordance with the terms of the Resolution of 17 Hovember_1956, _subsequent receipts on such outstanding contributions would be credited to the Working Capital Fund_ to the extent necessary to reimburse the advances made In accordance with paragraph 5(a) of the said Resolution, it being understood that any amount in excess of the sums so required would be reported as unappropriated^ur^lus,_tne^isposal of which would bg_ decided upon by the CONTRACTING"PARTIES." "

3 Page 3 Working Capital Fund under the authority granted to him under paragraph 5(b) of the Resolution of 1? November 1956 governing the use of the Working Capital Fund. 9- Excess expenditure over the approved budget appropriations was incurred on the following sections and authoritjr is hereby sought to increase the appropriations accordingly: PART I - Section 3 - Trade Negotiations Conference US$ PART II - Section 1 - Salaries, wages and official travel US$ 63, Section 2 - Common staff costs US$ 14, Section 3 - Common services US$ 31, Section 4 - Printing US$ 11, US$120, Savings were made on the following sections: PART I - Section 1 - Twenty-third session of the CONTRACTING PARTIES US$ 9, Section 2 - Meetings of the Council and other meetings US$ 7, PART II - Section 5 - Representation and hospitality us$ Section 6 - Permanent equipment us$ 7, us$ PART III - Section 1 - Annuity to Canton of Geneva us$ Section 2 - Annuity to FIPOI PART IV - Section 1 - Reimbursement of withdrawals to the Working Capital Fund' US$.23 us$ 26,153.57

4 Page To cov^r the excess expenditure of US$120, (paragraph 9) the following method of financing is proposed: (a) Transfer of savings between sections of the budget contained in Annex B US$ 26, (b) Utilization of excess of actual 1966 miscellaneous income over estimated income mentioned in paragraph 3 above US$ 5, (c) Utilization of additional contributions assessed during the financial year mentioned in paragraph 2(c) above US$ 3, (d) Withdrawal from the Working Capital Fund US$ 85, US$120, III. SURPLUS ACCOUNT 12. At 31 December 1966 the surplus account was depleted. IV - WORKING CAPITAL FUND 13. The principal of the Working Capital Fund was US$353,509 at 31 December In addition, an amount of US$ resulting from the revised assessment of advances to the Fund (document L/2482), and US$ resulting from the dissolution of the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, stood to the credit of governments' accounts. 14. An amount of US$11, representing advances assessed on eighteen contracting parties was still outstanding at 31 December In accordance with the proposal contained in paragraph 11(d) above, and pending approval by the CONTRACTING PARTIES, US$85, were advanced at the end of the financial year 1966 to finance part of the supplementary budget appropriations. In addition, the amount of US$39, mentioned in paragraph 5 above was advanced in order to increase the provision for contributions in arrears. Of these advances, totalling US$125,859-22, an amount of US$67, had been paid into the General Fund by 31 December 1966, leaving a balance due from the Working Capital Fund to the General Fund at that date of US$57, At 31 December 1?66 a total of US$315, had been advanced. Of this amount US$189, will be repaid out of the 1967 budget, US$85, out Of the 1968 budget and US$39, from receipts of contributions in arrears as referred to above. Points for decision: Paragraph 9 Paragraph 11

5 Page 5 ANNEX A CONTRIBUTIONS IK.ARREARS AS AT 3JL DECEMBER 1966 (in.us dollars) (a) Contributions due by contracting parties : -- " Total Australia Burma Chad Chile Dahomey Dominican Republic 5, Ghana Greece Guyana Haiti India Indonesia Italy Ivory Coast - Kenya Kuwait Malawi Mauritania Peru Rhodesia Rwanda Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Upper Volta - Uruguay 5, , , , , , , , , o.oo ii.64o.oo 1, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (b) Contributions due by countries having withdrawn from the Agreement : Total Syria 2, , ,337-68

6 Page 6 AïiNEX B PROPOSED TRANSFERS BETWEEN BUDGETARY SECTIONS FROM. PART I: MEETINGS Section 1 - Twenty-third Session of the CONTRACTING PARTIES (including Ministerial Meeting) Temporary assistance (including overtime) Travel and subsistence of temporary staff Rental of meeting rooms and additional office space Other services Section 2 6, Meetings of the Council and other Meetings Temporary assistance (including overtime) Travel and subsistence of temporary staff Rental of meeting rooms and additional office space PARI II: SECRETARIAT Section 5 -- Representation and Hospitality Representation and hospitality Section 6 - Permanent Equipment Permanent equipment -APT III. BUILDINGS (in US dollars) TO: PART I: MEETINGS Section 3 - Trade Negotiations Conference Travel and subsistence of temporary staff PART II: SECRETARIAT Section 2 - Common Staff Costs Travel and removal expenses of staff and their dependants 2, Separation payments Contributions to the UN Joint 9, Staff Pension Fund 7,945.0S Section 1 - Annuity to Canton of Geneva Annuity to Canton of Geneva in "espect of first Annex Section 2 - Annuity to FIPOI Annuity to FTPOI in respect of second Annex p APT IV: WORKING CAPITAL FUND Section 3 - Common Services Postal services 5, Stationery and office supplies Reproduction and distribution of documents 2, , , , , , , , , «Section 1 - Reimbursement of Withdrawals Reimbursement of withdrawals ,153-57