(AP) — The Council on Revenues is predicting Hawaiʻi’s general fund tax receipts will surge 15% during the current fiscal year through June as tourism recovers from the COVID-19 downturn. Next fiscal year, the council expects general fund tax revenues to climb 6.9% from this year as the rebound continues. Hawaiʻi law requires the governor and the Legislature to use the council’s forecasts when they draft their budgets. Council members say the omicron coronavirus variant is causing COVID-19 case numbers to jump in many parts of the world but that isn’t stopping tourists from coming to Hawaiʻi.

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