“Tight Licensing For Two Years"

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31335, 4 April 1967, Page 3

“Tight Licensing For Two Years"

The director of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation (Mr A. R. Dellow) said in Christchurch yesterday that he believed New Zealand would have tight import licensing for at least two years.

He was addressing a special meeting called by the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association to discuss the 1967-68 import licensing schedule to operate from July 1. About 90 manufacturers attended. “Up till now, apart from credit restraints, import licensing has been the only major weapon the Government has used to try to equate demand with the overseas funds available,” said Mr Dellow. “Nobody knows yet at which level the demand will settle, but one thing is certainly clear to me: practically all industries will be affected. Any fall in demand will not be spread evenly over all products. “As consumers exercise their choice, the demand for some goods will fall heavily while others may be only slightly affected and some may even continue to rise for this reason,” he said. "The attitude of the Manufacturers’ Federation must be that it will press for industries to have sufficient raw materials so that they can meet the demand at whatever level it settles as the result of the Government’s measures. In general, licences for these materials should be Issued directly to the manufacturers."

I “(3) It could help in some in- - dustries, through either associations or trade groups or the federation, to circulate information ) about materials required and materials available.” 1 Mr Dellow said that bonus * licensing provisions had not r been repeated, in the import ■ licensing schedule. * He said that there should 5 be some improvement in this ’ direction to give some recognition of manufacturers 1 using a high percentage of * New Zealand materials and ' also the manufacturer who * was producing components ’ for manufacturers who were ! doing the final export The district officer of the Department of Industries and ! Commerce (Mr A. V. Church) r said that 80 per cent of the ’ schedule was the highest pro- ' vision the Government could ! provide at this time. Mr Church said that machinery and plant In New Zea- ’ land generally were in very ! good repair. On licences for new import- ’ ers, Mr Church said that un--1 fortunately “we can't do anyr thing here.”

Mr Dellow described the role of the federation and the association in relation to import licensing. He made three points: “(1) In view of the shortage of exchange our ability to help each and every individual to obtain additional licences will be limited. We can help and advise and arrange interviews with departments. I emphasise that where there is an appropriate trade group, the Government usually prefers representations to be made on an industry group basis. •(2) We must press for industries to have enough materials to meet the demand for their products at the level of demand resulting from Government policy.