latest Chamber of Commerce monthly survey.

"There was a 5.5 percent decline in retail sales figures for April 1995 compared to April 1994,'' Ms Nancy Gosling, chairman of the sales division of the Chamber of Commerce said yesterday, citing that organisation's independent study.

"You cannot have a decline in air arrivals with an increase in residents shopping abroad and get an increase in local sales,'' said Ms Gosling.

"The results are not very encouraging. For retail the recession is not over.

We are still going backward.'' The chamber study, which includes 11 retailers and their affiliated stores, showed declines of seven, 10, and 11 percent respectively for January, February and March of this year.

"And May does not look like it is showing star quality,'' she added. Mr.

Eldon Trimingham, president and CEO of Trimingham Brothers, said he believed the decrease in sales in April compared to a year earlier was a reflection of a weakening of tourism.

He also cited the "uncertainly surrounding the Independence issue'' as a factor. And the Island may be experiencing a "trading down'' to get higher volumes, he said.

"Retail figures are definitely off for the month of April in the tourist department of this store,'' said Mr. Peter Cooper, managing director of A.S.

Cooper & Sons Ltd.

The Chamber of Commerce forwards the confidential amounts, used to determine a percentage, to the statistics department of Government, which then uses the figures in its monthly retail sales figure releases.