IMPORT LICENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26311, 16 November 1946, Page 3

IMPORT LICENCES

EXPLANATION BY MINISTER

REPLY TO ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS

“ It is considered that licences are being granted on an adequate basis, taking mro account the supplies which are available from local proauction,” the the text of a reply received, by the Associated Chambers of Commerce to representations made to the Minister of Customs, Mr Nasn, concerning the import licensing system. The secretary of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce (Mr J. D. Hanning) 1 informed a Daily Times reporter yesterday that in his reply to the Associated Chambers. Mr Nash said it was appreciated that, there was a big demand lor many classes of goods which were not available during recent years, owing to the diversion of materials and labour to war picauction, not only in New Zealand, but also in overseas countries, and that such accumulated demand could not be satisfied in a short period. New Allocations The Minister detailed a list of goods for which provision had been made for imports smee he bad been written' to by the Associated Chambers on September 11, ana a further list of items for which the allocations had been increased. The new allocations were cordials, bitters and liqueurs from foreign countries, storage batteries for motor cycles, toys, electric irons, aluminium hollow-ware, carpet sv. eepers, dried apricots and peaches. The allocation for imports for the following gt ods had been increased: —Hardware,, unassembled motor vehicles, carpets and linoleums, vacuum cleaners, paper patterns, firearms, and lawn mowers. With reference to a co; .plaint oy the Associated Chambers that prompt consideration should be given to applications for import licences m respect of goods which were the subject of cabled offers, Mr Nash stated that steps to that end were being taken by the Customs Department. Collectors’ powers Concerning further representations that in order to alleviate delays that occurred through reference to the head office, wider powers should be given to local collectors, the Minister replied that collectors of Customs were given as wide authority as possible on import licensing matters, and wherever opportunity occurred their authority was extended. He added that it was not considered necessary that applicants should be given the reason for die refusal of applications for their licences although that was done where thought desirable. In reply to a request that the Government, as In other countries, should compile a list of goods which were entirely free from import control, Mr Nash stated that it was not proposed to take this action at present. Representations were also made for a more liberal attitude towards obtaining tyres and various other goods from the United States of America, especially where the supply position in British countries was still awkward. The Minister replied that licences were granted liberally for the importation from the United States of goods which New Zealand required and which were not available in sufficient quantities from British sources. So far as tyres were concerned, he added, the difficulty was to secure supplies. The tyre importing companies had advised that consideration would be given to applications for licences to import tyres from the United States of America if supported by definite evidence of availability. Sources of Supply Replying to a request for greater elasticity in regard to sources of supply, having regard to the difficult supply position obtaining in Canada and other countries, Mr Nash Intimated that collectors of Customs had instructions which permitted as much elasticity as possible in relation to tlie transfer of business from one country of origin to .another. Referring to a request that steps should be taken to expedite the release of goods held by the War Assets Realisation Board in respect to which import licences were refused on the grounds that there were large war assets’ stocks in the country, Mr Nash mentioned that the War Assets Realisation Board was fully aware of the necessity for disposing with expedition of the supply of goods held. The Associated Chambers of Commerce has communicated further with Mr Nash regarding the matter of expediting treatment of urgent applications based on cabled offers of goods from abroad, pointing out that in practice the attitude of the Customs Department was that applications had to be treated in the order of date in which they were received and that urgent applications could not be sorted out. The Associated Chambers suggested that this did not appear to be in accordance With the intention of the Minister or of the Comptroller of Customs