(from "Chairman's Report of the Fourteenth Meeting")

"Budgets for the year ended 31st May, 1962 and Provisional Balance Sheet as at 31st May, 1962, Document IWC/14/2/A.

It was noted that the provisional statement of income and expenditure for the financial year ended 31st May, 1962, and the provisional balance sheet as at 31st May, 1962 had been agreed, by the Committee subject to minor changes in the presentation of the balance sheet. The ordinary expenditure for the year ended 31st May, 1962 was £3,851 compared with £4,039 in the previous year. The income at £250 from seventeen Governments was £4,250. It resulted in a credit balance of £398 17s. 2d. Against this it had to be remembered that a sum of £1,243 5s. 2d. was outstanding from countries who had not paid their contribution so that in fact there was an unfavourable cash position. In the extra-ordinary part of the budget Japan had paid her share of £2,227 10s. 0d. and a sum of £443 15s. 0d. had been spent. The Committee wishes to draw the Commissions' attention to two points bearing on these budgets:

(i)

It was noted that the Argentine Government was two years in arrear with its annual contributions and the Panamanian Government was in virtually the same position. The Committee therefore recommend that a strong letter should be sent on behalf of the Commission to these two Governments pointing out that they are two years in arrears with their subscriptions and as this is a serious hinderance to the work of the Commission they should meet their past obligations in the very near future and further that if they intend to remain as members of the Commission it is hoped they will pay their contributions as they fall due. It was noted that Brazil was one year in arrears with her contribution and it is recommended that a letter be sent to that Government on behalf of the Commission reminding her of her obligation and asking for payment in the near future.

(ii)

Up to the end of the financial year ended 31st May, 1962, only Japan had paid her contribution to the extra-ordinary budget, although the United Kingdom and Norway had paid since that date. The contributions from the remaining two countries, the Netherlands and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have not yet been received and in the circumstances the Committee think that the Commission should ask these countries to pay as quickly as possible.

Estimated Income and Expenditure of the Year ending 31st May, 1963
(Document IWC/14/2B)

Ordinary Budget As regards the expenditure side of the ordinary budget, the Committee recommends the following charges:

(i)

The Secretary drew the Committee's attention to the fact that in 1961/62 he had himself paid the employers contributions on National Health and Pension Schemes amounting to £34 1s. 2d. The Commissions' accountants had questioned the legality of this and stated that, in their view, the Commission should be responsible for such payments. The Committee recommend that the Secretary should be re-imbursed for the 1961/62 payment and that henceforth the Commission themselves should bear these payments. In 1962/63 the amount payable would be £34 11s. 4d. The Committee has, therefore, included an additional item of £68 12s. 6d. to cover the expenditure in both years.

(ii)

As regards the contribution by the Commission as a whole to the expenses of the Special Ad Hoc Scientific Committee Meeting, this was originally calculated on the basis of £50 per member country. Since membership has now increased from seventeen to eighteen countries, the Committee considers that the Commissions' contributions should be increased from £850 to £900.

These charges result in a total estimated expenditure of £4,818 12s. 6d.

As regards the income side the Committee notes that the income from contributions from member Governments would, on the present basis of £250 per annum; only amount to £4,500 giving an estimated deficit on income and expenditure for the year of approximately £300, assuming that all contributions are promptly paid. It is true that the Commission will start 1962/63 with an estimated balance in hand of £1,436 11s. 9d., but owing to the arrears in contributions, the balance actually in hand only amounts to £194; this would mean an actual deficit of £106. The Committee considers that this position is most unsatisfactory and that the income of the Commission in any one year should normally cover the expenditure in that year without drawing on any small balance in reserve. In addition the Committee considers that the Commission should budget for a small credit balance to cater for a possible increase in the scientific work which seems probable. The Committee wishes to remind the Commission that last year it was recommended that all member Governments should consider favourably before this year's meeting an increase in contribution of £50, i.e. from £250 to £300. The Committee recommends that, in the light of the Commissions' present financial position, the Commission should now decide that the contribution from member Governments should forthwith be increased to £300 per annum. This would produce an annual income from contributions of £5,400.

The Committee therefore recommends that the Commission should approve the ordinary budget for 1962/63 on the revised basis set out.

Extra-ordinary Budget The Committee considered the extra-ordinary budget and noted that, having regard to the expenditure incurred in the previous year, the original estimates included on the expenditure side could be reduced by £150. They accordingly recommend that the item for "Travel and Subsistence" should be reduced from £2,450 to £2,300. This gives a total estimated expenditure for 1962/63 of £6,300. The special contributions from the five Antarctic whaling countries will provide in 1962/63 an income of £6,306 4s. 1d., just covering the estimated expenditure.

The Committee therefore recommends that the Commission should approve the extra-ordinary budget for 1962/63 on the revised basis set out."

The Commission then approved the provisional statement of income and expenditure for the financial year ended 31st May, 1962, the provisional balance sheet as at 31st May, 1962 and the estimated income and expenditure for the year ending 31st May, 1963 (Documents IWC/14/2A and IWC/14/2B) as amended by the Finance Committee. The Commission also accepted the recommendations made by the Committee in connection with these accounts.

Other items are dealt with under "other items" in this report.

_