Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937

Overview

The Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide for the payment of bounties on certain goods that are the produce or manufacture of the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea. This Act was intended to address the need for incentivising the import of specific goods from these territories into the Commonwealth of Australia for home consumption. The Act specifies the types of goods eligible for the bounty, the rates at which the bounty will be paid, and the conditions under which the bounty is applicable, including quality and import period stipulations. The Minister is granted the authority to prescribe regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act, including the imposition of penalties for breaches of these regulations. The Act also mandates the submission of annual returns to Parliament, detailing the bounty payments made during the preceding financial year. The policy objective of the Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937 is to encourage the economic development of Papua and New Guinea by facilitating the export of specified goods to Australia. By providing financial incentives in the form of bounties, the Act aims to support the local economies of these territories and promote the sustainable production and export of their goods. This legislative measure was introduced to ensure that the benefits of trade are shared equitably and to bolster the economic ties between the Commonwealth of Australia and its territories.

Scope and Application

The Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937 applies to certain goods that are the produce or manufacture of the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guinea, specifically those listed in the schedule of the Act. It provides for the payment of bounties on these goods upon their importation into the Commonwealth for home consumption, provided they are imported within the specified periods and directly from the respective territories. The Act applies to the exporters or their authorised agents and excludes anyone else from claiming the bounty. It also stipulates that the bounty is not payable for goods that are not of good and merchantable quality or for which bounty has already been paid under a previous Act. The Act's jurisdiction is national, as it is a Commonwealth Act, and it is enforced through subordinate regulations that can be made by the Governor-General. The Act does not explicitly state any exclusions but implicitly excludes goods not listed in the schedule or those not meeting the specified conditions for bounty payment. The Act also sets out the administrative and enforcement mechanisms, including the requirement for claimants to produce certificates of origin and allows the Minister to request additional information to verify claims. It includes provisions for offences related to false claims or statements, with penalties specified either in the Act or through regulations. Finally, the Act mandates the preparation and submission of annual returns to Parliament detailing the bounty payments made, which provides transparency and accountability in the administration of the bounties.

Key Provisions

The Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1937 (sections 1-3) establishes the legislative framework for the payment of bounties on specified goods produced or manufactured in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. The Act provides for the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the payment of these bounties and specifies the commencement date as 1 January 1938. The bounties are payable on goods listed in the Act's Schedule, provided they meet certain criteria such as being imported within specified periods and directly from the Territory in which they were produced or manufactured. Under this Act, the obligations imposed on parties include ensuring that bounties are only payable to the exporter or their authorised agent (section 5), that the goods are of good and merchantable quality (section 5(b)), and that no bounty has been previously paid under the Papua and New Guinea Bounties Act 1926-1936 (section 5(c)). Claimants for bounty must provide evidence of the origin of the goods, such as a certificate from the principal officer of Customs at the port of shipment (section 6). Additionally, the Minister has the authority to request any information necessary to verify the correctness of certificates or other evidence presented (section 7). The Act also outlines the offences and penalties for non-compliance. It is an offence to obtain payment of a bounty that is not payable, to obtain payment by means of false or misleading statements, or to present false or misleading documents or statements to any officer or person involved in the administration of this Act (section 8). The penalties for such offences include a fine of up to one hundred pounds or imprisonment for up to twelve months (section 8). Furthermore, the Governor-General is authorised to make regulations prescribing penalties not exceeding fifty pounds for any breach of these regulations (section 10).