Page 345 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

n

•JO
(i.—import \arj Receipts:—Consideration of llu* quantities imported, as shown above, will
explain I he drop of twenty-nine per rent in the collections from the import yard, which have no
relation to the value of the imports hut only to their volume, the charges being based upon the
sixo of the package or the weight of the hag. This is most noticeable in the case of the following
commodities: —
Commodity. 1 cur 1358. 1’c.ir 1 356-
» Rice 4,02,300 owls. 3.3h.537 cwts.
Soft Sugar Hi,000 cwts. 48,066 ewls.
Cottons: value R*. 23,65,400 Rs. 13,22,600
Cement, say 1,00,000 hags 32,000 hags
There has been no change in the past year in the rates of Customs duty, or Import Yard
Charges; and the prevailing rates are generally accepted as equitable. It should, however, be
noticed that in the State of Kuwait the import duty is four per cent ail valorem, which is less
than the Bahrain rales; and since an understanding has recently been reached between Kuwait
and the neighbouring kingdom of Saudi-Arabin by which Kuwait imports are admissible into
the latter country, there is every likelihood that considerable portion of the Bahrain re-export
trade will be diverted into Kuwait, to the profit of that State and to the resultant loss in Bahrain.
P.—Native Craft Receipts:—The somewhat small reduction in collections from this source may
be attributed to normal ebb-and-flow of trade between Persian Ciulf ports.
C.—Parcels Past Receipts:—The reduction in collections front this source is due to there being
fewer importers by this popular method among the personnel of the three local oil companies,
a considerable number having departed owing to the exigencies of war conditions.
For the same reason the receipts from I).—Passengers' Baggage arc less than the previous
year.
It is, howe\er, of interest to note that the receipts from /•'.—Direct Transhipment have not
To sum up: the past year’s decrease in Customs receipts may he allocated to—
fallen nearly as much as was to be expected, bearing in mind the fact that the port of Ras Tanura
is now available for the service of The California-.Vrabia Standard Oil Company, and that much
of this Company’s capital plain ami machinery had already been imported in previous years.
Ks.
1. —Steamers’ cargoes: (fall in imports of
piece good* values at, snv, Rs. 10,00,000 50,(KX>
2. —Other imports: say, Rs. 2,(Ml,(XX) 15.000
3. —Transhipments 18.000

83.000
4.—Import Yard collections 75.000
Total (say) ... Rs. 1,58.0(H)

This decrease, also includes the decrease in Royally levied upon the smaller amount of Land­
ing- Charges collected by Steamers’ Agents, amounting to about Rs. 6,000.
/?.—Native ('rail:—During the past year the visits of foreign native craft to this port have
exceeded the previous year, although they have not reached the total of the year 1357*
I give below a comparison of such visits: —

(trigin. IV.ir 1357. Year 135S. Veur 135<j.
Africa •5 4 18
India 73 3<> 75
Oman Const >s3 212 193
lift’ ('oast 3*7 366 349
Arabian Mainland 7*9 626 614
Kuwait (>5 57 62
132
I raq 1 mi *23
Totals ... 1,|6i 1.4-7 1.443