Page 130 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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MINORS* ESTATES DEPARTMENT

(From the report of Mr. Mohomed Dowaigar, Superintendent.)
Thirteen new estates were dealt with during the year, their total value was Rs. 1,56,800. A number
of these estates belonged to persons who died in service while employed by the Bahriun Petroleum Company,
they received their compensation through the department which acts for the Government as a distributor
of payments which arc received from the Bahrain Petroleum Company for the heirs of the employees.
Rents of properties under the administration of the department amounted to Rs. 1,14,000; though the
collections were higher than last year they were much lower than was expected. Owing to the disastrous
date season most tenants only paid about half of their rents. Interest on loans which were advanced by
the department amounted to Rs. 47,000. Three properties were sold for approximately Rs. 25,000;
sales are sometimes necessary in order to pay off debts against estates. During the year Rs. 11,800 was
recovered from debts owed to various estates, most of the debts were owed by divers.
It is the desire of the Government that eventually the department should become self-supporting ;
discussions took place during the year between the Government and the committee about charging fees
for the administration of estates. It was finally agreed that for the time being the Government would
continue to pay Rs. 24,000 per annum to the department and a charge of 5 per cent, per annum would be
levied by the department on the interest which it obtained from loans. Rates of interest arc on a sliding
scale, the rates decrease as the amount which is lent increases, but the highest rates of interest are very
much lower than local bazaar rates. The Government also made a loan to the department of Rs. 2,80,000
at 3 per cent interest. The difference between the interest payable to the Government and the interest
received by the department on account of loans will contribute to the cost of running the department
and will eventually build up a reserve fund from which the Government loan will be repaid. The average
rate of interest during the year was 4$ per cent.
Loans advanced during the year amounted to Rs. 9,96,000, in addition to loans of Rs. 16,56,700
which were outstanding from the previous year. Allowances and payments to minors amounted to
Rs. 84,800 ; at the beginning of the year the department was maintaining 514 minors of whom 69 received
their full share in their estates on attaining majority. The department bought property to the value of
Rs. 26,000 on behalf of three (states and spent Rs. 39,000 on repairs and improvements to buildings and
gardens.

Statement of receipts and expenditure in 1368 :—
Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p.
Value of 13 estates 1,56,891 6 o Maintenance, allowance, etc. 84,843 12 4
Rents 1,13,944 6 8 Properties purchased .. 26,091 o o
Refund of loans 6,41,181 12 o Upkeep of buildings .. 39,018 5 10
Interest on loans 46,938 10 6 Cash payments 1,82,502 2 O
Government loan 2,80,000 o o Loans advanced 9.96.x37 5 0
Deposits 3x»98i 7 3 Balance in Bank 27,741 1 10
Properties sold 25.346 13 °
Old debts recovered 11,862 8 9
Balance from 1367 48,186 10 10

Total Rs. i3.56.333 11 o Total Rs. 13.56,333 11 0