Page 190 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

GOG
Records of Bahrain

(2)

on goods consigned and destined
for the
mainland,Buoh goods never leaving the
OuotomB Houee Bhede but being re-ohipp«d
on firot opportunity on native craft. This
2^ tax was in addition to the Ardhiya
or ground rent tax ohargod on all goodo
lying in the Cuetomo Warehouses.
That in 19 17, on the prd.te)<t that the war had
greatly reduced hie customs reoeiptB,Shaikh
Ioa suddenly imposed the full tax of 5 on
all goods landed at the Customs Pier, whether
euoh were entering Bahrain or were merely
being transhipped from B.I.Steamero to
latlve Craft.
That thio tax was still in force.
That *ejd, Massa and Qatif merchants consider­
ed it to be a grossly unfair tax and founded
on no precedent and prayed for its removal."
It appears also that various similar Complaints were made to
the Agenoy in my predecessor's time, but nothing came of them,
olnoe Bin Baud was too closely engaged, putting hio own houee
to take the matter
in order, not to mention his troubles with the Shareef Musain./up
And so the matter was dropped.

2- Bin Saud, it would appear, has now definitely taken up
the matter himself, and quite reoently wrote to Shaikh Isa (in
letter dated iBth January, 1980), asking him in a friendly way
his reasons for oharging lejd Merchants 6 i* on "TRMSHIP” goods,
putting euoh goods on a par with those entering Bahrain. Bin
Saud, further, requested that for old friendship's sake, the tax
be again reduoed to 2$ as formerly existing. To this letter
Shaikh Isa returned no but later, hearing I was leaving
for Massa, asked me to sound Bln Baud on* the subjeot. Me, at the
same time, gave me his own reasons for having imposed the tax.