Page 148 - 8 Persian Trade rep Muscat 2_Neat

Banking. Exports.
There arc no banks in Muscat. The syxt-Tii among Total or ports for tie year under review amounted
the merchant* of bsuir.g l.undis ('liufin) is Ln practice to £152,797 of which goods worth £1o,MJ6 were
end an trade methods arc pr!nil:vc tin re arc r.o carried by sailing vessels and the balance bv steam-
•ullicicr.t inducements for a l>ai.k to be established. 6ldpR. They show a decreed of £‘.i,.VjI from the
previous year's figures.
Trade. Cotton gooda locally manufactured were export*-d
The total volume of trade for (ho year 10.?/Cl to Aden, India, Zanzibar and Africa: dry fish
amounted to £415,275 as against £459,146 of tbo Ceylon.
previous year showing a decrease of £41.171. Muscat manufactures—turbans and fungi*. There
Imports bv steamer* as well as by failing vessels are exported to Zanzibar. Africa and Aden. A con­
show a decrease «»f £34,817 as compared with the siderable cxpoit of these articles pass througli the
previous year. post ofii-ce and doe-s not appear in rlie.se. returns.
Kxpoits hv steamer* as well as by -a lir.g vess’ls The I’o.*t Of!ice returns for tie: year under rujK.rt
show a decrease of £9.354 as computed with tlie pre­ show th.it goods wo.’th £;,*-50 were thus exported.
vious year.
Of the total trade for the year llio share of the Lcgiil • tier.
railing vessels is £123.104 and that of the steamers The f.-overnrccat is of the oriental type tempered
£292,171. by treaty for the benefit of British subjects over
whom r.lic local authorities have no jurisdiction.
Share of Trade. The Go*vcrnm«.nt is earn'd on by z. Council of 4
Ministers (President, Mini.-ter of Ju tire, 3Iini.-tcr «.f
I 3-T.f.
I’jiiMlIrt. r. - »•. l’e-rvat- Finance and Min', ter of Religious AsTair*). C-mj
against British r,.;»jccts ere tried by the IVitrcul
c c c Agent cud His Ei.tannic Majesty's Consul, Muscat,
Inii* zw>. 2 9?.VU f-1 70 on principles of law adopted fr«-m British India.
Cases .-gainst Mas-cat Subjects aic decided by the
P«T?»» I 33.908 7.119 SJ.--27 Council of Ministers, hut the right of Consularrer.rc-
VoO-d Kintr 1 »n I 19 741 Cf-.GO 4-03 seiitatlon exist j and is exercised.
IV-'**
Afrlik 4.1*3 17.751 4-27
Customs.
A‘l*-n I.MK5S • :i2 I 101 0-34
I’i.i'i d SlAtr* •if 73 12.124 52.497 3-00 Reciprocal commercial treaties have l-e«*n executed
itiitrla. by the Ruler of Oman with Great Britain. I’cJted
:
4..un»=y 3.787 5.797 in Stab* of Am-rica and France. In scerodance with
s 310 .140 j 0 • * the u-jmu of these all g<»ods imporbd into Oman
0/1-* i I«.b2« 14.828 3 57 are subject to an import duty of 5 per cent ad
tuloru'i doK-rnJncd by the price current in the
China 3.435 1.135 U-92 local market. No export duty is levied but a charge
'
Otb«r Oiaiiif* 33.270 32.270 7-77 of 5 p-.T cent, is imposed in Muscat and at tLc Coast
'
ports on all cates and other fruits from the interior.
Total j 212.178 ! 132,7117 | 415.275 100-00 Tbe Customs revenue is the main source of the
Government's income.
A» will be seen from the above figeres India has
played a prominent part in the year’s trade. Transport.
Transport along the coast ia bv sailing vessels
Imports. and is cheap. Transport inland is carried out by
Total imports for the year amounted to £282.478 pack -animals and is difficult, dangerous and expen­
as against £317,295 of the previous year showing a sive. The rates depend u]>on tie distance tbe
decrease of £34,817. Of the total import.- goods goods have to be conveyed and tbe difficulty of the
worth £170,200 were carried by steamships and journey.
£112,278 by sailing vessels. Communications by car has been opened up with
The import of rice by steamers as well as by the Batinah Coast through the construction of s
sailing vessels chows an increase. Tic bulk of tie motor road between Muscat and Matrab, and its
rice imported and appearing In these returns came extension some CO miles beyond Matrab. Cara can
from Karachi. It is cheaper than Calcutta rice now run Kouie £00 milos up the Batinah Coast to
and is consumed by the poorer classes both in Muscat Kalba, and a motor bus runs daily to Bib, some 30
and in tlie interior. miles from Muscat.