BUOYANT REVENUE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 134, 2 March 1936, Page 5

BUOYANT REVENUE

Wellington Customs For February SUBSTANTIAL RISE Eleven Months’ Figures Customs revenue collected at Wellington continues very buoyant, reflecting the steady increase in imports and the expansion generally of trade in the Dominion. The net Customs revenue collected at Wellington last month totalled £221),938, compared with £192,631 in February, 1935, an increase of £37,307, while compared with February, 1034, the lie crease is £76,241. For the eleven expired months of the financial year ending on March 31, the net revenue totals £2,531,535, compared with ±2,242,498 for the corresponding period of the 1034-35 year, an increase of £280,087, while compared with the 1033-34 year the increase is no less than £716,064.

A detailed comparison for each o the eleven months is given in the fol lowing table: —

Totals .. £2,531,585 £2,242,408 Motor-Spirit and Tire Tax. The duty collected on motor-spirit last month totalled £36,649 at 6d. ;t gallon and £24,430 at 4d. a gallon, a total 0f.£61,070, compared with £34,307 at 6d. a gallon and £22,951 at 4d. a gallon, a total of £57,348 for February, 1035, an increase of £3731. For the 11 months the figures are £580,518 and £634,817 respectively, a decrease of £45,299. ' ‘ The amounts collected at 4d. a gallon ‘are already included in the net Customs revenue given above, being paid into the Consolidated Fund as distinct from those at 6(1; a gallon, which go to tile Main Highways Fund. The smaller'frevenue from motorspirit . recently is not due to decreased consumption, but to the increased numbers of bonded tanks in the smaller centres, ’. Formerly all, or almost all, motor-spirit discharged at Wellington paid "duty in' Wellington. Now a large proportion of the petrol used in the Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui and Taranaki districts is railed from Wellington and placed in bonded tanks in those districts, paying duty'where it is drawn off from the bonded tanks. Collections of tire tax last month totalled £1645, compared with £1955 in February, 1935, a decrease of £3lO. For the 11 months there is an increase of £BBO, the figures being £22,895 and £22,015 respectively. -V Sales Tax and Beer Duty. ■ Collections of sales tax in February totalled £65,939, compared with £55,537 in February;. 1935, an increase of £10,402. The total for the 11 mouths, £828,257, shows an increase of £132,170 over last year’s total of £696,087. This tax came into force bn February 10, 1933, and the total so far collected at Wellington is £2,140,516. Beer excise collections for February totalled £4715, compared with £4857 for February, 1935, a decrease of £142. For the 11 months there is an increase of £1661, the figures being £53,934 and £52,273 respectively. AUCKLAND INCREASE By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March 1. There was an increase of £28,331 in th customs revenue collected in Auckland last, month, compared with February, 1935. Receipts were £239,905 aS against £211,07-l. The .increase for -tiie 11. months of the financial year was* £107,638. the sum of £2,492,682 having been collected, compared with £2,385,041 in the corresponding period of 1934-35. A consistent increase in the sales tax revenue also was maintained. Receipts last month were £53,299, compared with £44.976 bi February 1935, nu increase of £8323. For the 11 months of 1935-36 receipts under this head totalled £668,518, an , increase of £81,277 over the £587,241 collected in the 11 months of 1934-35. The combined, receipts from motor spirit tax and tire?duty in February showed ..an increase of £5519, compared with February last year, the amounts being £54,461 and £48,942 respectively. The excise on beer for the month totalled £11,278 compared with £10,831, nn increase of £447, DECREASE AT DUNEDIN By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, March 1. Less yevenue lias passed through the Dunedin customs office during the past 11 months than in the same period of the previous financial year, the respective grand totals being £1,213.522/14/6 and £1,245,269/4/4, a decrease of £31,746/19/10. In the month of February ended yesterday, £105,827/17/2 was collected from the various sources as against £110,653/15/3 in the same month of last year, the month’s deficiency being £4825/18/1. Cur-toms duty rose £419/0/9 to £55.302/10/8 this month, compared with the figures a year ago, but for the full term the total is down £14.389/4/7. All-round loss on beer duty is revealed. £4.415/3/4 for the month and £5.561/12/9 for the 11 month period. Tile respective totals for February and the year to date were £16.118/4/8 and £218.848/11 /7. On the other hand, sales tax continues to increase handsomely. This month £19.214/19/4 was received against £18.132/12/4 hist February, a gain of £1.082/7/-. while for the past 11 months the receipts have been £232,732/1] i/S or £7.319/19/11 better than the same months of last financial year. The loss on petrol tax has been £2.941 /4/6 for the month (total for which was £12.252/6/6) and £24.264/8/3 fo r th" year so far (£133.039/17/8). The increases in gold export duty were £1.205 for February and £4.8(51/10/5 for the 11 months, respective totals standing at £2.278/18/7 and £22.900/7/8.

1035-30. £ 1934-35 £ 207,431 181,509 Jlnv 240,402 196,056 June «••«••• 1 154,052 July ....... 212,088 ' 211JJ51 August 243J910 220,440 September .. 227,827 168,908 October .... 200,389 241,527 November 255,872 245,477 December 224,820 209,003 January 231,145 221,424 February ... 229,938 192,031