Colombo Plan Talks End

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 11

Colombo Plan Talks End

(N Z.P-A.-Reutrr—Copyright) KUALA LUMPUR, November 17. The thirteenth Colombo Plan consultative committee conference formally closed in Kuala Lumpur today after four days of discussions on ways of overcoming economic development problems in South and Southeast Asia.

A joint communique from the 21 participating nations noted a "significant expansion of output that had been achieved to the countries of the region over the decade" and said “important gains were made in industrial production.”

The population increased over the last 10 years, partly due to the success of the Colombo Plan In the fields of health and sanitation.

The communique said, however, that because of the population growth, increase in income per person did not keep pace with gains in production. "Other difficulties had been fluctuations on the world market prices of principal export commodities of countries of the area, insecurity and civil strife, inflationary pressure. Shortage of skilled personnel and ether factors both economic and noneconomic.” Much remained to be done in the years ahead and all members—both contributing and recipient—would have to devote “continuing and vigorous” attention to the problems standing in the way of economic development. Increased attention could also be given to the impact of the population growth on economic development, the communique said. At the closing ceremony today, the Nepalese Finance Minister (Mr Rishikesh Shahe) thanked Australia for

its invitation yesterday to host next year’s conference. Australia held the first ever meeting of the consultative committee to Sydney to IMO. Since then all Colombo Plan member countries outside the South and Southeast Asian area have taken their turn staging the conference. No venue was set for the 1962 conference and Australian officials said it would be up to the Federal Government to choose the host city.

The chairman of thia year’s conference. Tun Abdul Razak, the deputy Malayan Prime Minister, told reporters after today's formal closing that members had set aside the subject of mobilisation of domestic capital for development for discussion next year.

N.Z. Bull Arrives IN .Z.P. A.-Rrutor—Copyright) NEWARK (New Jersey), November IT. A Black Angus bull. “Elegance of Charterhouse.” worth more than 100,000 dollars, reached Newark yesterday from New Zealand. The Scottish-bred bull, previously owned by Mr Donald Grant, had been shipped to the freighter Port Jackson to Its new owners, Mr Edward Marcus, of Lewisville, Texas, and Mr Robert Goodyear of Aiken, South Carolina.