February, 1996, as consumer demand weakened, it emerged yesterday.

The news came in the Government Statistics Department's monthly retail sales index figures.

The value of retail sales slipped by 1.4 percent year-over-year before adusting for inflation with gross turnover estimated at $33.4 million, continued the report.

The index is based on a collection of stores whose retail sales are estimated to represent about 66 percent of the Island's total retail sales.

Gross revenue flows for the stores dropped 7.6 percent with more than half of them reporting lower sales revenues for the month.

Notable declines were seen in demand for appliances, hardware and building supplies, household furniture and furnishings with sales in liquor plummeting 10.7 percent.

However, food store receipts edged up 0.4 percent and motor vehicle and service station gross sales climbed 13.9 percent.

Meanwhile residents returning from abroad declared purchases of goods worth $1.44 million. This was an increase of 3.6 percent year-over-year.

The Finance Ministry has announced an increase in fuel prices, effective as of Wednesday.

Gasoline increased 0.8 cents a litre bringing the maximum retail price to 117 cents per litre.

Diesel will increase 0.5 cents a litre raising retail prices to 90.4 cents per litre.

And kerosene increased 0.1 cents a litre. Consumers will now pay 69.8 cents for a litre of kerosene.