COLLECTION OF CUSTOMS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22983, 1 April 1940, Page 9

COLLECTION OF CUSTOMS

REVENUE FROM IMPORTS PFXREASE DURING 1939-40. Customs returns at Christchurch for ' the financial year just ended show appreciably the effect of the import restrictions. It is the first time that the returns given such a clear indication of mc way in which the restrictions are bringing about a reduction in customs revenue on imported goods. The customs duty collected for the 12 months ended this March totalled £1107,859, compared with £1,207,118 for'the financial year ended March 31, 1939, a decrease of nearly £IOO,OOO. ijjjg' general revenue collected by the Christchurch department, including actual customs duty, showed a slight increase over the year. For the 12 months ended March 31 of this year, the general total was £2,161,467, compared with £2,157.714, an increase of £3753 This increase was due to considerably higher collections under headings not influenced by the import restrictions, these increases helping to cancel out the fall in actual customs duty collections on imported goods. For instance, over the year, beer duty collected increased by more than £4O 000; there was an increase of more than £SOOO in petrol tax collections; an increase of nearly £23,000 in sale tax revenue.' The new war taxation influences the final item, which covers i miscellaneous collections; the total 1 under this heading rose from £2619 ■ for the 1938-39 period to £44,365 for ' the 12 months ended March 31, 1940. The details of collections for the month of March of this year show a substantial fall in customs duty, a rise in beer duty of more than £6248, a fair in petrol tax receipts, and a substantial increase in sales tax. Details follow:

AUCKLAND ,4 I IFBESS ASSOCIA nos PEI.EQRAK,) AUCKLAND. March 31. A decline in all collections with the exception, of beer excise and sales tax is shown in the aggregate revenue collected by the Customs Department at AucWatvd during the financial year which 'ended on Saturday. The figures for March also showed a substantial fall in comparison hj March, 1939, the drop being .most marked ; in revenue from . customs,. motor spirit, and tyre duty. . Collections from all sources during the year dropped by £208,564 to £5,602,403. For the 12 months the customs figure was £3,365,359 in comparison with £3,585,1 -7 in 1938-39, a decline of £220,478. For the last six months of - the year collections from motor spirit and tyres .have generally been below those of the previous year. For the 12 months the total, calculated on the' old rate of 6d a gallon, was £891,355, as against £939,433 in 1938-39. . The substantially increased revenue in the earlier part of the year was chiefly responsible for bringing up the total from sales tax to £1,081,287, which is slightly ahead of the previous year’s figure. Beer excise was again a: buoyant item, collections for 12 months increasing by £51,094 to £264,402. Customs revenue for March amounted to £242,379, of which £93,301 was actually derived from petrol duty, as compared with £282,827 last year. When calculated at the old rate of 6d a gallon, the return from petrol importations was also substantially lower, while tyre duty yielded little more than half of the amount fained in March, 1939. The sales tax gure fell by £5151 to £81,028, but excise on beer contributed £27,755, an increase of £BBO2. WELLINGTON (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, March 31. Customs revenue collections at Wellington continue to show a decrease because of the combined effect of the import control restrictions and the war. Excise collections from beer are higher, •but under all other heads decreases are registered, both for the month of March and for the financial year ended to-day. War tax in March amounted to £30,943, compared with £27,701 in February, and £26,686 in January. Figures under all heads ‘for 1939-40 and 1938.39 financial years afford the following comnarisons:—Net customs , £3,417,361 (£3,739,399), sales tax £1,309,585 (£1,379,187), motor ' spirit £518,483 (£554,112), tyre tax £19,286 (£30,816), beer excise £96,697 (£81,761), war tax £166, 372 {—). Net customs revenue last month .totalled £245,190, compared with £321,026 for March, 1939, a decrease of £75.836. For the financial years figures are £3,417,361 and £3,739,399, a decrease of £322,038. Sales .tax last month amounted to £93,675, compared , with £131,744 in March, 1,939, a decrease of £38,069. The total for the financial year, £1,309,585, shows a de- ‘ cfease of £69,069 when compared with the £1,379,187 collected during 1938-39. Beer duty collections last month amounted to £8668. compared with ~6091 in March, 1939, an increase of £2577. For the financial years the figures are £96,697 and £81,768, an increase of £14,929. Duty collected oh' motor spirit last month amounted to £37,936 at 6d a gallon, compared with '£54.581 | n March, 1939, a decrease of £16,645.- For the financial years, the totals are £518.483 and £554,112, a decrease of £35,629. Tyre tax last March • ■ £1330, compared with .£2097 m March, 1939, a decrease of £767. For the financials years there is- a decrease of £11,530, the totals being £19,286 and £30,816. DUNEDIN (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, March 30. . The import and petrol restrictions “ a d an appreciable effect upon .customs and other revenue collected at Dune-

Year Ended March 31 1939, 1940. £ £ Customs 1,207.118 1.107,859 Beer 136,900 177,852 Petrol tax 314,713 319,884 Tyre tax 14,900 9,466 Sales tax 458,826 481,571 Light dues 7,669 6,644 Wool levy 2,927 3,280 Honey levy 41 1 Meat levy 12,001 10,545 Miscellaneous 2,619 44,365 Totals .. — 2,157,714 2,161,467 Month of March 1939. 1940. £ £ Customs 100,847 68,641 Beer 11,825 18,073 Petrol tax 31,121 22,819 Tyre tax 1,393 941 Sales tax 39,185 35,633 Light dues 836 770 Wool levy 547 510 Honey levy — — Meat levy 1,128 — Miscellaneous 37 6,279 Totals .. 186,919 153,666 -