New schedule ‘realistic’

Press, 7 April 1978, Page 4

New schedule ‘realistic’

>|PA Wellington Manufacturers consider the ,11978-79 import-licensing sche- ’ dule released vesterdav real- , istic in view of the market* .land economic conditions. ( The president of the Manu-| ’ifacturers’ Federation (Mr J., pH. Gemmell) said that the in-j crease in basic licence for; ’(goods required by producers( Tof goods and services to 112.5* (per cent plus the provision’ (above the basic entitlement ’ for licences to cover the rea-| 2 sonable requirements ofi ’ manufacturers was reassur-i J- >ng. ‘I “In Export Year it is very p pleasing to see snecial con”sideration being given to raw; • jinaterials, components, and*

slant and equipment where ;hey are used in export production,” he said. He also welcomed the provision for :he review of licence holders jnder selected item codes. “With the changing pattern jf trade, there is a need for iontinual review.” he said. While the federation in ’eneral approved the new ichedule, some trade groups :ould be adversely affected by certain provisions, and A'ould make direct representations to the Minister to state their cases, said Mr Semmell. An import-licensing schedule was desperately needed that would take firm action to stop the present trend of

’-.importing goods that could - be made in New Zealand, said s; the Opposition spokesman on r I trade (Mr W. W. Freer). s “Manufacturers all over the country are finding that their il production is being seriously by imports, es-peci-jally those from cheaper Asian 11 sources,” Mr Freer said. j “At a lime when unemploys'ment is at record levels and 1 the internal economy of the 1 country is sliding rapidly into - a depression, competitive i(foreign goods should be the rj first to be controlled.” i The Minister of Trade and -I Industry (Mr Adamsi Schneider) had totally failed i in this respect, he said. fi Details of schedule, Page 3