CUSTOMS REVENUE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 150, 21 March 1930, Page 13

CUSTOMS REVENUE

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES RETURNS FOR QUARTER Substantial increasse in the Customs, primage, and excise duties collected in New Zealand for the quarter which ended, on December 31 last are disclosed in returns made available yesterday. From all ports, Customs and primage duties produced £2,303,894, compared with £2,091,049 for the corresponding quarter of 1928, an increase of £212,845, of which £125,071 was supplied by primage. The heavy rise in the primage duties was mainly the result of the doubling of the rate to two per cent, by Parliament in August last. Spirits provided in duties £-00,007, as compared with £270,935 for the corresponding quarter of 1928, and cigarettes and tobacco £319,435, as against £351,379. The total returns for each quarter were as under: — Dec. Dec. quarter, quarter, , 1929. 1928. £ > £ General tariff .... 1,339,405 1,359,625 British preferential 730,986 .622.99Primage 233,503 108,43The total return of Customs duties for the calendar year 1929 w _?s £8,582,? 393, compared with £7,648,747 for 1028, an increase of £933,646. Excise Duties.

The excise duties for the quarter under review totalled £261,268, compared with £223,554 for the December quarter of 1928, an increase of £37,714. Beer provided £178,570, an increase of £8624, and tobacco and cigarettes £76,458, an increase of £29,877; The total for the calendar year 1929 was £888,582, compared with £810,179 for 1928, an increase of £78,403. _________