Page 94 - 8 Persian Trade rep Muscat 2_Neat

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and is consumed by the poorer classes both in Muscat
Banting. and in the interior.
TLcre are no banks in Muscat* The system Exports.
among the merchants of issuing ITandis (drafts) is
in practice and as trade methods are primitive there Total exports for the year under report amounted
are not sufficient inducements for a bank to be to £106,203 of which goods worth £21,726 were
established. carried by sailing craft and the balance by steam-
ships. They show an increase of £17,918 ovA'i^t
T rede. year’s figures. ^
The total trade for the year 1928-29 amounted to Cotton goods locally manufactured were exported
£310,120 as against £318,944 of the previous year 10 .Ad?n* Afnc.a *nd Zanzibar, dry fish to Ceylon
showing a decrease of £8,821 or about 1-70 per cent, and Maras (ochre) to Aden. This last item is used
, ° , . r ors, for dying clothes bv the Arabs.
Imports by steamers show an increase of £307
whilst imports by sailing vessels a decrease of Muscat manufactures Turbans and Lungis. These
£27,309. arc exported to Zanzibar, Africa and Aden. A
Exports show on the whole an improvement over considerable export of thc.sc articles passes through
the Post Office and does not appear in these returns.
the figures for last year. The Post Office returns for the year under report
Of the total trade for the year the share of the show that goods worth £6,330 were thus exported.
taUing cr»ft “ £123.576 and that of steamship. Thc CIport of Fard d3tc5 to thc Unit(;d St3tc8 o{
£3^ >,544. America amounted to £22,670 as against £10,520
of the previous year or an increase of £12,130. This
Share of Trade. is due to the good rains wc have had during 1927*28.
Ptrrrnt-
Import*. Export*. Total. Legislation.
The Government is of the Oriental type tempered
Aden. 2.911 636 1,779 •74 by treaty for the benefit of British subjects over
Africa . 6.181 S.1C1 9.614 1 *9 whom the local authorities have do jurisdiction.
India . 258,589 107,599 166.1*8 71 *0 The Government is carried on by a Council of four
Ccylna . 14.007 14,007 2-74 Ministers (President, Minister of Justice, Minister
of Finance and Minister of Religious Affairs). Cases
.. : «.«,
China. 2,647 •52 against British subjects are tried by the Political
PrnU 16.2*2 5,655 21,937 4-30 Agent and His Britannic Majosty’3 Consul, Muscat,
6iaf*3<c* . .. 1.785 1,785 •35 on principles of law adopted from British India.
Cases against Muscat subjects arc decided by the
Unite'S Kingdom 20,710 711 21,421 4-20
8t*te* or Council of Ministers, but the right of Consular
AmesSca . 150 29,800 10,159 Ml representation exists and is exercised.
Other Coontrio* 18.551 ’ •6,551 7-55
Customs.
TOVA 141,917 , 166,201 510,120 | 100-00
Reciprocal commercial treaties have been execut­
ed by the ruler of Oman with Great Britain and
As will be noticed from the above figures, India
has played a prominent part in the year’s trade. France. In accordance with the terms of those
all goods imported into Oman are subject to an
import duty of 5 per cent ad valorem determined
Imports. by thc price current in thc local market. No export
duty is levied, but a charge of 5 per cent is imposed
Total Imports for the year amounted to £343,917
as against £370,659 of the previous year showing a in Muscat and at the Coast ports on all dates and
decrease of £26,742 or about 7*21 per cent. Of other fruits from the interior.
the total Imports goods worth £242,067 were carried The Customs revenue is the main source of the
by the steamships and £101,850 by country craft. Government's income.
The Import of rice by steamers as well as by
sailing vessels shows a decline. The bulk of the Transport.
rice imported and appearing in these returns came Transport along the coast is by sailing vessels and
from Karachi. It is cheaper than Calcutta rice is cheap. Transport inland i* carried out by pack