"ملف رقم: ١٤/ ١٤ الاسم؛ بنك لمسقط (البنك الإمبراطوري في إيران والخليج الفارسي)" [و‎‎٥‎٧] (٤٣٤/١١٣)

4» My eoncneota on theae so urea a of income arc given
belor eerlatiu:
(a) The valwo in rupees of ire ports and
exports for the pre-war year 1937-38 end the years 1942-43
and 1944-45 arei
1937-3^ 1942-43 1944-45
Imports
Exports
41,67,125 63,40,792 1,73 17,100
32,99,015 61,08,976 1,57,66,400
The increase in trade values in recent years has boen due
partly to rising price levels aixi partly to an increase in
the quantity of goods traded in. This increase la not
lik dy to fce maintaiiied for nore Ul/in two years or so; but
given a mono)>oly position, tlie Bank's expected inooroe on
discounting bills of oxoI^Rg©, even on pix-war figures,
would be considerable. Coiamunications with Muscat are
likely to reroain poor arui the dlsoount r&te will consequently
be high, At present the discount rate of Indian Treasury
notea against silver averages
(b) Muscat's currency is silver and its value da-
? c j iv?rf on the price of silver coupled with a seasonal scarcity
value during the rjurketing of the date crop. Hie iiational
Bank of India, which is the principal, if not the only
British bunk at Aden, does extencive business in the bt^ing
and selling of dollars, and similar transactions would
presurerbly be undertaken by any bank at Muses t.
(c) It can be expected tiiat the Sultan will wiah
to use the bank both for State purposes and for private
transaetloti*.. Stats deposits might be conslderuhle vide
paragraph 3 of my KorecrandiBa Ko.C. 147-3/14, dated the 13th