Trade and Industry abuse claimed

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 8

Trade and Industry abuse claimed

By

BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter

Import licences valued at $82.75 million were issued to people while employed at the Trade and Industry Department, a departmental document shows.

The Opposition’s spokesman on trade and industry, Mr Philip Burdon (Fendalton), produced the document yesterday, saying it proved widespread abuse had occurred.

It details the tendering by three former Trade and Industry officials, two of whom have been convicted of irregularities in dealing with import licences. A fourth name is quoted, but the depart-

ment said this was thought to be either an associate or alias of one of the three former employees.

The document shows one staff member had more than $2B million in import licences issued. Another had $lB million in licences issued, but had sold on $4.5 million of this. Mr Burdon said the percentage commission involved in such on-sales was between 1 and 30 per cent. An immensely sophisticated business was involved, he said, worth millions of dollars. “We are looking at a department which is completely out of control,” he said. When Mr Burdon first

made his claims of corruption in import licencing, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Caygill, said the accusations were extraordinary and unwarranted. The department had initiated investigations leading to two prosecutions and there were no outstanding allegations that he was aware of. Mr Burdon said the latest document showed that it was no longer valid to dismiss his claims as being unwarranted. He. repeated his call for a public inquiry into Import licence tendering. Mr Burdon plans to raise the issue again in Parliament next week during the debate on Trade and Industry estimates.