on Friday ran into problems at some stores.

Callers to Gosling's warehouse were told that cases of alcohol ordered on Friday could be picked up that day, but customers would still be billed at Monday's prices.

Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul is handing down his Budget on Monday, and is widely expected to increase taxes on alcohol, among other items.

Mrs. Nancy Gosling, president of Gosling Bros. Ltd., told The Royal Gazette that warehouse sales at regular prices stopped at the end of the business day on Thursday.

"We have our stock in bond,'' and Customs duty was not paid by Gosling until after a case of alcohol was sold, Mrs. Gosling said.

If Gosling's sold a case of alcohol on Friday, it would not be able to produce the duty slip until Monday, and would be forced to pay duty at the higher price, she said.

"We stopped taking orders at the old price at the warehouse yesterday,'' she said on Friday. Prior to a budget, "all the liquor companies generally do the same thing.'' This year, the unusual fact that the Budget was being delivered on Monday made the policy more noticeable, because warehouse sales on Saturday would also be affected, she said.

Sales from retail stores were not affected, she said.

Mrs. Gosling said she had no inside knowledge of the size of any alcohol tax increase, or even whether there would be one.

At the Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. warehouse on Friday, the man who answered the telephone said cases of alcohol ordered there could be paid for at the Friday price.