PAPUA, NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28870, 15 April 1959, Page 13

PAPUA, NEW GUINEA

Income Tax Introduced

CANBERRA, April 14. The Australian Minister for Territories (Mr Paul Hasluck) announced in Parliament today that the Australian Government had decided to impose income tax in Papua and the Territory of New Guinea He gave no details of the rates of tax to be charged but said they would be “on a far more liberal scale” than Australian income tax. Present taxes in the territories are £2 a year “personal” tax imposed on settlers and on some natives. Mr Hasluck said the Government’s decision was to change the method of raising Territory revenues, not to increase overall revenue proceeds. Mr Hasluck said that at present nearly the whole of the £5,000.000 revenue raised in the territories came from import and export duties. When income tax was introduced export duties would be abolished and import duties reduced. He said legislation giving effect to the tax proposals would be introduced in the Territory’s Legislative Council on April 20. The Federal Government’s revenue-gathering methods in the territories have been under fire for some time. The settlers have said that import and export duties were hampering the flow of goods to the country and slowing development of new industries. Gathering of the £2 a year “personal” tax has led to several incidents recently. One taxgathering party last -year was involved in a fight with natives in which two villagers at Navuneram were shot dead and others wounded.