Submission of budget estimates and control of expenditure

(3) The Council may, either directly or through companies established by it, float bonds or issue shares or debentures for the purpose of exercising its borrowing powers under this Act. (4) Notwithstanding the above provisions, it shall be lawful for the Minister responsible for Finance to advance from the public funds of Belize any sum required by the Council, on such terms and conditions as the said Minister may determine, if the said Minister is satisfied that the Council shall be able from its ordinary revenue to repay the amount advanced within such time as he may determine. 23.–(1) The Council shall, before the end of September in each year, submit to the Minister responsible for Local Government for onward transmission to the Minister of Finance, in such form as may be prescribed by the Financial Secretary, estimates of revenue and expenditure for the period of one year commencing from 1st April then next ensuing, containing full details of salaries, allowances and all other items of expenditure whatever, and the Minister responsible for Finance shall present the said estimates to the National Assembly with such amendments, if any, as he may consider necessary having regard to the financial position of the Council. (2) No expenditure shall be incurred by the Council unless it has been previously approved by the National Assembly but the Minister responsible for Finance may, if it appears to him to be of sufficient urgency, permit the Council to incur any lawful expenditure not prescribed in the approved estimates, and in every such case, the Council shall include such extra expenditure in the supplementary estimates and submit the same to the Minister of Finance for the approval of the National Assembly. (3) In this section, “lawful expenditure” means expenditure incurred in the exercise of any of the powers or performance of any of the duties conferred or imposed on the Council by law. 24 (4) The Council may from time to time make regulations prescribing the manner in which the accounts of the Council are to be kept and disbursements made, and for the audit of the accounts of the Council by the auditors duly approved by the (5) Regulations made by the Council under this section shall be subject to negative resolution of the House of Representatives. (6) Every person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the regulations made under this section shall, without prejudice to any civil liability which may be incurred in that behalf, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment.