More import curbs pledged by Labour

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 2

More import curbs pledged by Labour

PA Hamilton! Import curbs would be| ■tightened under a Labour government to protecti domestic manufacturers, said the Labour spokesman on Trade and Industry (Mr Warren Freer) yesterday. “We will see that nothing is imported which can be made here by factories which are at present underutilised,” he said. Labour’s trade policy hinged on revitalising manufacturing industries, encouraging exports, and protecting domestic markets. Import licences would be, issued for goods made in New Zealand bin where possible they would be issued to the manufacturers concerned. This would enable domestic industries to take

| advantage of the market for I imported goods while developing their own production. The previous Labour Government had carried out this plan successfully with the makers of Tatra leather goods. Import licences had been granted to the firm for specialist lines which were uneconomic to make in New Zealand. The company had benefited from marketing these products while improving production of its own lines for domestic and overseas sale. i “For a paltry $600,000 worth of import licences a local manufacturer has been able to develop a milliondollar export market,” said Mr Freer. “The present Government

■ on the other hand is bashing manufacturers with increased duty on plant and sales tax on goods and : - ; duced assistance.” Mr Freer said that the ■ Government was calling for increased productivity while ■ cutting its support for the Productivity Centre assist 1 ance agency by 10 per cent. I Increased interest rates and I a credit squeeze were presenting expansion and forcing some films out of business. “Mr Muldoon’s financial policy seems to consist of putting his fingers in the dike to try and stem the flow: only now he’s run out of fingers and the best thing he could do would be to put his head in it,” said Mr Freer.