PAYMENT OF DUTY

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 6

PAYMENT OF DUTY

Position Of Returning, Servicemen Returning servicemen were exempt from the first £5 of duty on goods brought ip by them, stated the Minister of Customs, Mr. Nash, replying to an urgent question by Mr. Holyoake (Opposition, Pahiatua) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Holyoake had asked the Minister if he was aware that solders of a draft'recently returned from the Pacific were being charged Customs duty on small parcels of cigarettes and other personal property, and would he issue instructions that his department desist from its endeavour to compel the Army Department to deduct from the pay of soldiers the amount of sueh duty. The Minister said that iu the case referred to by the member for Pahiatua, a draft of 160 men who landed at Auckland had a total of 621,000 cigarettes as well as cigars and other goods. Where the soldier’s share of the duty exceeded £o he was asked to-pay the excess. Some did ndt have the money to pay, and the customs officer had suggested it might be deducted from their pay. The Minister said he would not approve. that, being done unless the soldier desired it done that way. No representations had been made to the authorities in this particular case. No undue conditions were applied to soldiers, but they were expected to declare the goods they brought in. It had been agreed that the £5 was a reasonable figure. ~ „ , The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland : When was that.decision arrived at?

The Minister: A long time ago. Mr. Holland: Any amount of. soldiers bring in three or four thousand cigarettes and they have not paid duty. The Minister: Then the goods could not have been declared.