NEW IMPORT SCHEDULE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30073, 6 March 1963, Page 8

NEW IMPORT SCHEDULE

Mr Shelton On Priorities

Although the Government would attempt to have a more liberal impart system in 196364, the building up of reserves would have to continue, and it would be necessary to concentrate on developing new and existing industries ttnd to give priority to Imports of plant and raw material, said the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton).

Mr Shelton was speaking at the annual conference of the New Zealand Wholesale Hardware Guilds’ Federation, which is being held in Christchurch this week. More than 130 delegates from all parts of the country are attending. Where practicable, licences would be grouped into a single licence, and this would do away with much time-con-suming paper work, said Mr Shelton. “It will enable 'greater efficiency far those importers who deal with a large number of distinct but related items such as builders’ and household hardware. “This improvement should also simplify the making of customs entries,” Mr Shelton said. “Now. that the new customs tariff has been operating for eight months, the more serious difficulties have been resolved, and the new licensing schedule will allow greater flexibility in the use of many basic licences.” Mr Shelton said it was the firm policy of the Government to take all reasonable measures to promote freedom of choice and freedom from controls. The continuation of the present inevitable system of import licensing should be seen as an essential part of the programme to overcome recurrent trading problems.