AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28549, 31 March 1958, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS

Simplifying Of Licensing

(Rec. 9 p.m.) CANBERRA. March SO.

The imports ceiling for the ISM licensing year would be unchanged at £Boom, but there would be changes to simplify the administration of licensing, th* Trad* Minister, Mr John McEwen, said tonight. The main changes were:—To exempt certain basic materials from licensing; to simplify licensing procedures for certain dollar goods; to license more goods without discrimination against dollar sources of supply; to exempt book* of non-dollar origin from licensing and freely to license dollar books, except Action. He said that the Government had wanted to minimise the disruptive effect* of freqent changes in the level of licensing. Mr McEwen said that the Government’s decision to extend the area of non-discrimination against dollar goods wss an extension of a system of “world” licensing adopted two and a hall years ago.. Under this system, certain goods were ficensad without differentiation, between dollar and non-dollar aources of supply. The result of this; and extensions since, and the new proposals was' to give local industry aeeess to the most ecotfotnic sources at supply and maintain good relations with Australia's dollar trading partners. Mr McEwen said that th* Government retained its long-term alm of the removal of controls altogether.