SALES OF PETROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1938, Page 17

SALES OF PETROL

LICENSING SYSTEM

FEES TO BE IMPOSED

NEW REGULATIONS

Regulations under the Industrial Efficiency Act, 1936, imposing licence fees in connection with the importation and sail of motor spirits were gazetted last evening, and will come into force on April 1. The fees, w.hich will be payable along with and in addition to the explosive and dangerous goods licence fees, have been introduced for the purpose of covering the cost of administering the licensing system in regard to the sale of motor spirit, which has been in, operation since September 10, 1936.

Applications for licences are to be accompanied by an application fee of £!.■ ' ' ■

| Before any wholesale licence is issued there shall be payable a licence fee of the amount following: (a) If the licensee has during the year ended on December 31 next preceding the day of commencement of the licence carried on the importation of motor spirit; the fee shall be the sum of £10 for every 1,000,000 gallons or part of 1,000,000 gallons of motor spirit imported by the licensee during that year. (b) If the licensee has not during that year carried on the importation of motor spirit, the fee shall be a sum,of £10. .

Before any retail licence is issued there shall be payable a>licence fee of the amounts following: (a) In respect of every pump referred to in the ] licence the sum of ;£l. (b) Where the terms of the licence permit the licensee to deliver motor spirit otherwise than by a- pump.a sum of £1 for every 10,000 gallons or part of 10,000 gallons of motor spirit so delivered by the licensee during the year ended on December 31 next preceding the day of commencement of the licence up to a maximum fee of £10. (c) Where the terms of the licence permit the licensee to deliver motor spirit otherwise than by a pump,,but no motor spirit has been so delivered by the'licensee during the relevant year, the sum of £1. In each case the amount of the application fee will be deducted from the licence fee payable, but the former is not payable in the case of people in business on April 1. There is also a scale of fees for applications to . vary the conditions Of licences or- for leave to transfer licences. Appeals must be accompanied by a deposit of £2, but the amount is repayable if the appellant is successful. PRINCIPLE APPROVED. "No fewer than 1790 various applications have been dealt with by the Bureau of Industry, and I think it will be readily agreed that it is reasonable to expect the industry, for whose protection the licensing is in force, to contribute towards thet cost" of the administration of the system- and the necessary investigations which' are required in every instance," said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D G. Sullivan) ■in an accompanying statement issued last night^'The question of the imposition of licensing fees was referred by me to the New Zealand Petrol Resellers'- Association, and this body has assured me that it fully recognises the advantage of the stability gained under the licensing system and price-fixation regulations, and consequently it is quite in accord with the principle of licensing fees." The Minister said he was pleased to note that already preliminary discussions had taken place between the Petrol Resellers' Association and the Garage Proprietors' Association with a view to pfeparing an industrial plan under the Industrial Efficiency Act. "I appreciate this endeavour to implement the spirit of the Act," he added, "as I have always held the opinion that planning designed to bring orderly methods and stability into business and at the same time enabling it to render better service is a necessary corollary of the licensing system. "The Government is desirous of dealing with representative organisations of industries rather than individuals, and-it is therefore desirable, in my opinion, for the successful introduction of a plan that all those engaged in the industry should be associated with their representative organisations. LIMITATION OF FEES. "I would like to mention that under the Industrial, Efficiency Act fees imposed by way of licensing can only be levied to the extent of the cost of administering the licensing system. In the present instance it must be remembered that no fees have been paid as yet, though the system has bee^i operating since December, 1936. In effect, therefore, the present fees are to coyer the expenses incurred for the period from Deecmber, 1936, to April, 1939. , "I feel that the petrol reselling industry has never been on such a sound footing, and the Government can justly claim to have kept its promise to stabilise conditions within the industry. The resellers themselves have from tims to time voiced their appreciation of the Government's efforts in connection with the industry, and I now look forward to their proposals for the formulation of an industrial plan in which at all times I can assure the resellers they will have the co-operation of my Department."