Licences for more consumer imports

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 3

Licences for more consumer imports

(New Zealand Press .Association)

INVERCARGILL, April 22.

Provisions for the issue of new importers’ token licences were announced today by the Minister of Customs (Mr Adams-Schneider).

The Minister said that for the first time in many years, new importers’ licences to the value of about $500,000 would be issued for perfumery, cosmetics, toilet preparations, some kinds of clothing, selected items of builders’ hardware, ironing machines, dishwashing machines, carpet sweepers, refrigerators, clothes washing machines, vacuum cleaners, lamps and lampshades, radios and furniture.

The Minister was speaking at a businessmen’s luncheon in Invercargill.

“Overseas funds allocated for token imports in past years,” said Mr AdamsSchneider, “have been between s2m and $2.5m. The increases I announced when I released the 1971-72 import licensing schedule brought value-based licences to 175 per cent and quantity-based licences to 125 per cent of those for the previous year. This is the greatest liberal-

isation of the token licence scheme for many years.

“Along with the provision for new importers, the increases I have announced will virtually double the value of token licences, and retailers and their customers throughout the country will benefit from the greater variety of goods that will be available.

“Since the emphasis has been placed on attractive consumer goods, I expect considerable interest to be shown by intending importers in obtaining entitlements,” said Mr AdamsSchneider. “But I would again stress the point I made when releasing the licensing schedule that the funds set aside for this purpose are limited and restrictions have had to be placed on those who will qualify.” The type of applicant who would qualify would be one who was actively engaged in the physical handling, selling and distribution of goods generally, and who already had an established and significant trading interest in the particular goods it was intended to import. To be successful in his application, the company or in-

dividual concerned would either have a history of importing other goods in his own name or, alternatively, have bought substantial quantities of similar New Zealand-manufactured goods. MANUFACTURERS There is also provision for the issue of licences for New Zealand manufacturers who make the same class of goods—one of the original purposes of the token licence scheme was to keep manufacturers abreast of overseas trends in production and style. Mr Adams-Schneider said that anyone who considered he might qualify for a licence and who would be interested in applying, should study the full details of the scheme which would be in the customs bulletin to be issued on May 7. All applications must be submitted to the Customs Department not later than June 30.

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