Previous Story
Excise tax drop 14%
|
Posted on Mar 14 2001
Excise tax collected by the Customs Division totaled a paltry $4.8 million last month, representing a 14 percent decline from January’s $5.6 million.
However, the agency was quick to point out that the $800,000 shortfall was due to the 28-day calendar of February than anything else.
Customs Director Jose C. Mafnas added that during the past three years, excise tax for the month of February have always hovered around the $4.8 million level.
In contrast, January has always been an upstart month with an average of $5.6 million excise tax collections in 2000 and 2001. It reached a crescendo in January 1999 with $5.8 million, Mr. Mafnas noted.
For inbound container figures, a total of 911 arrived in Saipan’s docks in Puerto Rico during the month of February.
Topping the category with a total of 265 were those of the garment industry. It was followed by containers for retail and wholesale stores with 261. While the hardware industry, which continues to suffer from the lack of construction activity in the islands, limped to third with inbound containers of only 45.
The balance of 340 containers were shipped for other industries.
In January, the Customs Division inspected a total of 1082 inboard containers. Of the number 472 were for garments, 276 for retail and wholesale stores, 34 for hardware and the 300 for other industries.
Mr. Mafnas also revealed that 99 percent of outbound containers are contracted by the garment industry. The astonishing percentage made him say, “It seems the garment industry is the only thing that is keeping us going.”
