Page 291 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Budgetary affairs 279

Copy of political Agent, Bahrain's demi-official letter No.
C/1237 datod 29.12.'47 to C.D. Belgrave, Esq., C.B.E., Adviser
to the Bahrain Government, Bahrain.

You may remember that about a fortnight ago we dis­
cussed the increases made by His Highness in the Civil List.
You explained to me that what has uctually happened is that
the Shaikh has increased the Civil Li3t (in round figures)
from over four lakhs to over six lakhs, i.e. by two lakhs
made up of

(a) 1 lakh which the Shaikh formerly paid himself
from his share of the oil royalty, and
(b) 1 lakh increases in the cost of living allowance
— these two lakhs being now charged on the State budget.
I gathered that you agreed with me that whatever excuse there
might be for adding (b) to the State budget there is none
whatsoever Tor similar action in respect of (a). I made
this point to Sir Rupert, and he haff inquired from me whether
you advised the Shaikh against adding (a) to the State budget
or not? I suppose you did, but would you please confirm?
2. Sir Rupert ha3 also raised the point as to how the
Shaikh expends his very large share of the oil royalty.
There is a good deal of correspondence on my files about
this, but it is mostly out of date. You told me that His
Highness still pays from his oil royalty Ks.2,61,000 in
salaries and Hs.90,000 in "ad hoc" payments to members of the
A1 Khalifah, etc., while hlsjbwn salary is now Ks. 16,250/-.
These figures account for about lakhs peirahnum, but there
remains a balance of the present oil royalty (13 lakhs) of
7-J- lakhs. Can you give me up-to-date figures indicating how
this is spent?

:

NS.