British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 861

CHAPTER XX.

Railways and other fixed and surplus assets banded over to the Civil Administration of Palestine by the War Department" estimated the total charge against the Palestine Government in respect of a fair residual value to the Government of work done on roads by the military authorities during the Occupation and, on repayment, thereafter, at a total figure of £P .244,412 including certain road making plant taken over from the Army by the Palestine Government. This figure was subsequently increased by the War Office to £P.295,120, by the inclusion of further roads of this category. The cost to Government of the roads taken over from the military authorities in 1920 and the roads financed by the military authorities thereafter was about £P.137,000.

(c) Expenditure by the Palestine Government since 1920. 1. On roads built for normal development.

The following list shows, in groups of five years, the expenditure from 1921 to the present time by the Palestine Government on the construction of new roads--0ther than security roadsand major improvements to existing roads. The figures include the purchase price of heavy road plant and machinery and an allowance to cover a share of Public Works Department overhead expenditure.

Period

1921-1926 1926-1930 1931-1985 1986-1940 1941-1945

Total

Expenditure £P. 474,000 853,000 431,000 741,000 203,000

2,202,000

2. On security roads.

The total expenditure on the construction of security roads as described under (b) of paragraph 29 was about £P.366,000. The expenditure was met from Palestine revenue in .the first instance but was later refunded to Palestine by a grant-in-aid from His Majesty's Government.

(d) Expenditure on roads constructed on behalf of the military authorities.

The total expenditure on road works carried out from 1940 to date on behalf of the military authorities, as described under (c) of paragraph 29, was about £P.l,850,000. The amount was provided by the War Department in the first instance but, as a number of these roads may be of permanent value to the country

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