Shoppers ‘misled on duty-frees’

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 6

Shoppers ‘misled on duty-frees’

PA Wellington Shoppers are likely to be misled into thinking the list of duty-free appliances is wider than it actually is, says the Electronic Manufacturers’ Federation.

The federation’s president, Mr Jack Christie, said yesterday that the problem arose from lists of goods published by some newspapers after the Government’s economic statement last week. The Government has since changed the list of items to be made duty-free and brought forward the duty-free date to today.

“I am concerned that many intending overseas holiday travellers could be seriously misled about which audio and othes consumer electronic prcjlucts

will be duty-free if they make purchases on the basis of most newspaper lists I have seen,” Mr Christie said.

It was important everyone refer to revised lists now available from the Customs Department. The Minister of Customs, Mrs Shields, said yesterday that a list of the goods exempt from duty would be gazetted today. Mr Christie said people travelling overseas should talk to customs officers to get an accurate definition of the duty-free products, as customers’ definitions of some products differed markedly from retailers’ descriptions.

Tape decks were a good example of this, he said.