Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1999

Estimates and accounts.

12.—The Act of 1980 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following for section 20:

“20.—(1) A board shall submit estimates of its income and expenditure to the Minister in such form, in respect of such periods and at such times as may be required by the Minister and shall furnish to the Minister such other information in relation to the estimates as the Minister may require.

(2) A regional board shall send a copy of its estimates in compliance with this section to the Central Board which shall provide observations, if any, on the estimates to the Minister in such form as the Minister may require.

(3) A board shall cause to be kept on a continuous basis proper books of account of—

(a) all income and expenditure of the board,

(b) the sources of such income and the subject matter of such expenditure, and

(c) the property, assets and liabilities of the board,

and shall keep such other special accounts as the Minister may from time to time direct.

(4) A board and the officers of a board shall, whenever so required by the Minister, permit any person appointed by the Minister to examine the books and accounts of the board in respect of any year or other period and shall facilitate any such examination.

(5) The Board shall pay such fees in respect of an examination under subsection (4) of this section as may be fixed by the Minister.

(6) (a) Where the Minister receives an estimate prepared for the purposes of this section, the Minister may confirm the estimate, with or without modification, or refuse to confirm the estimate.

(b) Where the Minister refuses to confirm an estimate, the Minister may require the board which submitted it to prepare and submit for the purposes of this section a fresh estimate of its expenditure and receipts for the year or other period to which the unconfirmed estimate relates.

(c) A board shall, as soon as may be, comply with a requirement under this subsection, and subsection (1) of this section shall apply to estimates prepared in pursuance of a requirement under this subsection as it applies to estimates prepared in pursuance of that subsection.

(7) A board shall not, without the permission of the Minister, incur any expenditure other than expenditure included in an estimate as confirmed under this section by the Minister.”.