Departmental Plans To Record Flow Of Imports

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 19

Departmental Plans To Record Flow Of Imports

(New Zealana Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 2.

To check on the run of import licences and the balance remaining on licences at any time, the Customs Department is to introduce a usage recording system. This system should also indicate shortages or surpluses of available licences for individual commodities, and help with a more realistic distribution of available funds between goods. In a circular to all importers, the Comptroller of Customs (Mr J. F. Cummings) says the objective of selective import control is to make the best use of available overseas exchange. It is important that essential imports are given priority, but it is equally important that funds available for other desirable, but less essential, goods are not needlessly reduced because of reservation of more funds than necessary for main imports.

The proportion of loused

licences can vary considerably from period to period. The absence of any reliable and up-to-date information makes accurate estimating difficult, and tends to limit effective use of overseas exchange. To counteract this, the usage recording system is to be introduced.

As each import licence for the 1960 period is issued, a licence issue card will be created. These cards will be filed in item category order at the major ports of Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Mr Cummings says the new system will involve some additional work for importers. This is regretted, but it is hoped that the information obtained through checking the cards will benefit the importers by allowing more accurate assessments of used licence balances and more effective distribution of available funds to items where there are apparent shortages.