PETROL TAX INCREASED TO 7D.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 172, 23 July 1930, Page 11

PETROL TAX INCREASED TO 7D.

Surtax on Many Articles, Including Spirits, Cigarettes and Timber.

RIGHT TO BARGAIN RESERVED

AUSTRALIAN GOODS NOT INCLUDED.

A new scale of Customs and excise duties operates jfrom to-day in New Zealand. The details, which have yet to be discussed by Parliament, were announced in the House of Representatives last evening by the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes. Requiring a total sum of £9,145,000 from Customs and excise duties, and estimating that without changes in the existing rates the revenue would be £8,350,000, Mr. Forbes proposes*to raise most of the balance, £800,000, by (a) Imposing a surtax (replacing the primage duty) of 1 -20th of the tariff rates of duty (1/ in the pound) on spirits, tobacco, cigarettes, petrol and timber, and of 9-40ths (4/6 in the pound) on all others. (b) Increasing the duty on foreign imports. As was anticipated the duty on petrol has been increased, the total now being slightly over 7d a gallon. None of the increased duties apply to Australian goods, and the" Government has reserved the right to bargain with foreign countries in order to gain increased markets for primary products. Thus there may be some amendments later.