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Business Briefs

Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Hawaii tax revenue declines 1.2 percent

State tax revenue fell 1.2 percent in November but was up 7 percent for the first five months of the fiscal year, the Department of Taxation said.

Tax revenue deposited into the state's general fund totaled $245.9 million last month, a $3.1 million decrease from the same period a year earlier, the department said.

The amount collected for the transient accommodations tax fell $1 million in November, while general fund deposits from the individual income tax declined $5.3 million because of a drop in withholding taxes and an increase in refunds, the agency said.

From July through November, tax revenue deposited into the fund topped $1.2 billion, an $83.7 million increase from the same period in 1999, according to the department.

State retail sales still top nation

Hawaii continued to lead the nation in retail sales growth for the first 17 days of the holiday shopping season, according to a survey of purchases made by check.

TeleCheck Services Inc. yesterday said same-store sales at Hawaii stores open at least a year jumped 4.8 percent in the Nov.24-Dec. 10 period compared with the same 17 days in 1999. Of the states surveyed, Texas was the next highest at 3.7 percent. The national average was 2.9 percent, TeleCheck said. Checks account for about one-third of retail spending, TeleCheck said.

Air Canada debuting new service Friday

Air Canada will inaugurate its new nonstop service between Calgary and Honolulu on Friday and will fly three direct flights a week through the winter from the Alberta provincial capital, using 205-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The flights will leave Calgary each Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:15 p.m., arrive in Honolulu at 11:15 p.m. and leave Honolulu at 1:15 a.m. the next day, arriving in Calgary at 10:35 a.m. The winter service will end March 31. Air Canada already flies nine flights a week between Vancouver and Honolulu, daily Toronto-Honolulu service and three flights a week between Vancouver and Maui. More information is available at www.aircanada.ca.