Choice Of Cars Widened

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 12

Choice Of Cars Widened

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 19 For the first tir e since the dollar crisis of 1948, New Zealand car importers would be allowed to choose between imports from the dollar and other areas, said the Minister of Customs (Mr Shelton) after the release- of the import schedule for 1963-64 tonight. It was estimated that under the remittance and nonremittance licences, 42.000 cars will be available during the year to June 30. 1964. he said.

“The estimated increase has been achieved not by any increased foreign exchange made available, but by increased local manufacture of motor-car parts which

amount to 2J per cent, of the value of the previouslyimported components and materials,” he said. “Some motor-assemblers have achieved an increase of local content above the 2J per cent., bringing the total local content to around 40 per cent., since the incentive scheme was initiated in 1960.” Mr Shelton said the new schedule should prove more flexible.

By and large, he said, importers would have 100 per cent, of their last year’s entitlement and would not be penalised if they had not used all of their current year’s licences.

The 106 “A” items in place of the 15 allowed before would meet the need of manufacturers without encouraging speculators.

On 112 items of raw mater-

ials manufacturers would no longer be held to their 1960 entitlement if they were efficient, he said. They would not be obliged to buy raw materials from their competitors.

There were also new groupings in the schedule for the importer of fullymanufactured articles.