44RZ14 - The Budget for the 44th Cosa Act

WHEREAS Section 4 of The Men In Black II Act (Talossan statutory law 38RZ15) states that "the Prime Minister shall be required to submit to the Ziu, as a government bill, and in time for consideration by the second Clark of the Cosa, a detailed budget listing all planned expenses of the government through the current Cosa, specifying the amounts to be requisitioned for each Cabinet Ministry and the purpose of each such expense", and

WHEREAS I have now completed my assessment of the budgetary requirements of each of the ministries, and

WHEREAS the current balance of the Royal Treasury, as reported by His Majesty's Burgermeister of Inland Revenue, stands at 516¢35 ($774.87US), and

WHEREAS while it is not envisioned that all Ministries will be spending money this Cosa term, I am bound to "take care to ensure that the budget presented will be sufficient to provide for all expenses of the government of the Kingdom of Talossa until the next budget shall be presented, during the subsequent Cosa", now

THEREFORE be it enacted by the Ziu that:Section 1. The maximum expense to be authorised for each ministry of government shall be as follows:

• (a) The Prime Ministry shall be allocated a budget, not to exceed ℓ80 ($120US), to cover all projects and expenses incurred by the Prime Ministry (including the Office of the Distain). These expenses shall include up to ℓ70 ($105US) for purchase of a chain of office for the Seneschal in accordance with 38RZ3 (The Shiny Objects Act). Details of any other project which monies from this allocation will be spent will be publicly published, along with estimated costing not less than two weeks before the actual purchase is made.
• (b) The Ministry of Home Affairs shall be allocated a budget, not to exceed 33¢20 ($50US), to cover all projects and expenses incurred by the Ministry. These expenses shall include up to ℓ22 ($33US) for the purchase of a national flag by the ministry suitable for occasions such as TalossaFest, or reimbursement to a citizen who has purchased a flag and given it to the Ministry. Details of any other project which monies from this allocation will be spent will be publicly published, along with estimated costing not less than two weeks before the actual purchase is made.
• (c) The Ministry of Justice shall be allocated a budget, not to exceed 33¢20 ($50US), to cover all projects and expenses incurred by the Ministry. These expenses shall include up to 26¢40 ($40US) for purchase of a wig for the Senior Justice in accordance with the intent of 38RZ3 (The Shiny Objects Act). Details of any other project which monies from this allocation will be spent will be publicly published, along with estimated costing not less than two weeks before the actual purchase is made.
• (d) The Ministry of Finance shall be allocated a budget, not to exceed ℓ100 ($150), to cover all projects and expenses incurred by the ministry, except as specifically provided elsewhere in this bill. If withdrawn according to this authorisation, these expenses shall be used for the production 1,500 stamps with a face value of ¢20 each (a total value, after sale, of ℓ500, or $750US). However, the provisions of Section 5 of this act shall be preferred by the government and the funds budgeted as above shall accordingly remain unexpended should action under Section 5 prove successful.
• (e) The Ministries of Culture, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Stuff shall each be allocated a budget, not to exceed 13¢20 ($20) each, to cover all projects and expenses incurred by the respective ministries. Details of any project which monies from this allocation will be spent will be publicly published, along with estimated costing not less than two weeks before the actual purchase is made.
• (f) All other government agencies, bureaus, and offices, formed or to be formed are allocated no funds and must apply to their respective parent ministries for any funding.

Section 2. Any monies not allocated by Section 1 shall be retained in the Royal Treasury for emergency spending and for investment by the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue as directed by the Finance Minister, according to the investment policies of his ministry.

Section 3. For security and administration purposes, all allocated monies shall remain in the Royal Treasury unless and until they are requested by the Minister of Finance. Upon any such request, however, being subject to the provisions and limitations of this Act, the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue shall release such funds as are requested, that they may be drawn down under this authorisation of the Ziu on a case by case basis by each minister.

Section 4. Any monies authorised by the Ziu according to Section 1, and withdrawn by a ministry under said authorisation but not expended before the passage of a budget for the 45th Cosa shall be returned to the Royal Treasury for reallocation as the then incumbent Prime Minister sees fit.FURTHERMORE, WHEREAS the Ministry of Finance has been authorised by Section 1 of this act to expend funds sufficient to produce 1,500 stamps with a face value of ¢20 each (a total value of ℓ500), and

WHEREAS the Ministry of Finance indicates to the Ziu its intention to produce stamps in at least that quantity within the next six months, whether with or without the use of the said authorised funds, and

WHEREAS the ministry further indicates to the Ziu its hopes, intentions, and expectations are that it shall not draw these authorised funds, and that it will instead raise monies for the production of stamps through the pre-sale of such through a reputable channel, such as the Kickstarter website, now

TO THIS END, the Ziu makes further authorisation as follows:Section 5. In lieu of the ℓ100 allocated in section 1(d) of this act, the Ministry of Finance is hereby authorised to expend up to ℓ400 ($600US) of new monies to be deposited into the Royal Treasury through the pre-sale of stamps. Such expenditure shall be authorised to cover the production of up to 50,000 stamps of a face value of ¢20 each (a total value of 16.666¢40, or $25,000US), the fees paid for the fundraising system, and the expense of the delivery of the stamps to pre-purchasers.FINALLY, the Government has indicated to the Ziu that, especially should the stamp project be a rousing success, it is hoped that circumstances will allow it to undertake the expenses of producing paper currency and/or coins, so

THEREFORE the Ziu restates that:Section 6.** In accordance with Section 5 of Talossan statutory law 38RZ15, the Government may later in this Cosa submit supplemental budgeting legislation for the approval of the Ziu.

Uréu q'estadra så,
Ma la Mha, Contă Thord (Seneschal)