Exporters asked for examples of red tape

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 4

Exporters asked for examples of red tape

The member of Parliament for Yaldhurst, Mrs Margaret Austin, has told exporters in her electorate to give her examples, of red tape and bureaucratic delays encountered in exporting. Mrs Austin said the days of administrative red tape and delays should become a thing of the past now that the Government's new high-powered 1 red tape-busting committee had been set up. Yaldhurst exporters experiencing problems could now send them to the Market Development Board for help, she said.

Mrs Austin said the board would consider the issues and if it could not fix the problem it would send it to the committee which had direct access to the Cabinet Mr Peter Shirtcliffe, chairman of the Market Development Board and head of the Committee, is well known throughout the regions for his work with the regional development forums.

“Where the delays and problems associated with exporting are blocking efficiency and benefits, the committee will immediately set them aside," Mrs Austin said.

Copies of local com-

plaints should also be sent to the local member Parliament who would chase it through the Wellington system. The Market Development Board was already working to remove requirements to obtain export permits for a large number of items and the Minister of Customs was urgently reviewing the list, Mrs Austin said. Another example where red tape might be removed was in the thoroughbred exporting industry. “Breeders argued that overseas owners would not raise their yearlings in New Zealand if GST became payable 28 days after yearlings were sold. The agistment industry is worth several million dollars to the country," Mrs Austin said. The Market Develop-

ment Board could perform an ombudsman-like role to help exporters. With public and private sector input, the board had credibility and neutrality and could help rule on disputes between government departments and exporters. “If the board cannot solve the problem threatening Yaldhurst exports or export potential it can go direct to the committee and direct to Cabinet committees where necessary.”

She said many of the hindrances were little more than unfortunate side effects of implementing policies in other areas for other objectives. “This committee is unique. It is able to review administrative practices on an industry basis like no other,” Mrs Austin said.