Money to help unemployed Bid to attract local Policemen Investment in education Tomorrow's first-ever PLP Budget will chart a `steady as she goes' course for Bermuda.

And there will be no new taxes -- and likely little change in most existing ones, other than to allow for inflation.

But Finance Minister Eugene Cox denied the PLP's first Budget and the last of the century would be a creation of the former United Bermuda Party Government.

Mr. Cox said some UBP projects in the pipeline had been dumped in favour of PLP's "people first'' priorities -- although he preserved the traditional cloak of secrecy around a Budget paper.

And he promised key investments in social areas like education and training, housing and public safety as a taster for things to come.

Mr. Cox said: "There were some time constraints -- they were very restrictive in that much of the work in preparation for the Budget had been done.

"We came in mid-November having to look at what had been done with the goal of trying to use this first Budget in some ways, at least, to begin some of the programmes we would like to see in place.'' And he said: "You will see in our Budget that it's a PLP Budget and that it reflects our policies.'' Among the new spending which could be seen is a cash injection to set up an Unemployment Insurance Scheme -- part of the PLP's election-winning platform.

And the struggling tourism industry is certain to get extra cash -- but Mr.

Cox's aim, stated in the PLP's Throne Speech, is mostly to use the existing cash more efficiently.

But campaign undertakings -- like changing import duty for retailers so it's collected after a sale rather than before and big tax breaks for hotels -- are not likely to figure in the coming year's financial blueprint.

Mr. Cox promised the watchdogs for Government expenditure -- the Accountant General's Office and Office of the Auditor -- would get more teeth to go for tax defaulters, as well as to keep a closer eye on Government spending.

He said: "We need to improve them both so they are able to correct any deficiencies.

"And we need to make sure the taxes which should be collected are collected -- we're not going on a witch hunt, but an orderly and efficient collection.'' The Police Service is also likely to see more money in the pot for next year -- to attract and retain young Bermudians to a career in uniform.

Mr. Cox said: "What we wanted to do was show some indication of the things we wanted to do which would reflect the kind of thrust we intend -- people focussed things which we felt needed to be done at this time.'' He added that Bermuda would feel the benefit of booming economies in Europe and the US -- neither yet affected much by the bursting of the south-east Asian bubble. Mr. Cox said: "We're looking favourably on the next 12 months -- with that in mind, we instituted some measures of our programme which we campaigned on so we wouldn't disappoint the people.

Budget to contain no new taxes "Education and training are certainly areas we insisted on -- and housing affordability and availability.

"And, of the concerns which kept surfacing during our campaigning, one of the biggest was that people want to feel safe, not only in the street, but in their own homes as well.'' But he added: "We thought we could get enough money from prudent management and an improvement in management as well.'' And Mr. Cox insisted the people understood that they could not expect miracles in a matter of months.

He said: "People are expecting much from us -- but what they want more than anything is to be successful.'' Mr. Cox added that "large numbers of people'' had even warned him not to go overboard in a bid to please the Country.

He said: "We know that we can't do everything in one year that we would like to -- and people are advising us not try and do everything at once.'' Mr. Cox added that the Budget took a lot of work -- but that the resources of Government made it easier in some ways than an Opposition Budget reply prepared in a short time and on a shoestring by volunteers. And he denied he would feel `opening night' nerves when he rises to his feet tomorrow morning.

Mr. Cox said: "I'm not built that way -- it's important I have everything in place and I haven't omitted anything. There will be some concern. I want to get it right and do it right.

"But I'm the sort of person who, when there's danger or concerns, gets turned on for action.

"I work best under pressure -- from that perspective, Friday's just another working day.'' But he admitted: "I'm sure I'll be concerned in the morning and maybe it'll really hit me then. But at the moment, it's just a job of work I have to do to the best of my ability.'' Mr. Cox added: "I want to make sure the people will benefit. I don't want to sound critical, but what I hope comes across is that we're not trying to protect any one segment of the Country's interests at the expense of others.''