LITTLE APPROVAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27212, 15 October 1949, Page 8

LITTLE APPROVAL

VIEWS OF IMPORTERS “ NOT ELECTION WINNER n LATENESS OF ANNOUNCEMENT CRITICISED The Import licensing schedules for 1950 have not met with the approval of importers in Dunedin. They said that the new schedules were worse than those issued for imports for this year in a large number of cases; that a good number of items covered by the schedules could not be imported from the countries from which imports are allowed by the Minister; and that the schedules were not calculated to win votes for the Government candidates at the coming elections from the ranks of importers. Importers interviewed by the Daily Times regarded the deferring of decisions on a large number of tariff items as a measure by the Government to find out first how thfe elections would go before making any announcement on the subject. They said that by this method the Government would not commit itself to giving licences which, it returned to the Treasury benches, it might regret having issued. They said that on the whole the new schedule was worse than it was for this year. In many cases the full licence for the importations granted for this year was permitted, but on the other hand reductions had been made in a good number of items, largely, apparently, to protect some industries m this country which might not face overseas competition otherwise, and to encourage industrial expansion in New Zealand. , The president of the Otago Motor Retail Trades Association, Mr G. T. Clarke, said that his association was particularly disappointed to find that no increase in the licences for the importation of motor cars had been granted. The association regarded this as a serious matter. The secretary of the Otago Retailers’ Association, Mr W. P. Wellington, said that except for a few important items such as hosiery, the greater part of the imported requirements stocked by drapery, furnishing, mercery and footwear retailers appeared to have been allocated on the same basis as last year. I Mr Wellington expressed disappointment of retailers that the Minister of Customs did not take’ the opportunity to make necessary improvements in the system of licensing. He said that the delay caused by importers having to make special applications to Wellington for licences on hard-currency areas in particular would be increased. Importers’ representatives supported this view. They stated that they were disappointed that the tariff items were set out individually, and that no “ blanket ” licences covering similar types of goods had been made"available by the Minister, in spite of representations in this respect by a number of organisations. It was of little use to them, they said, to be granted licences for goods which they required less than others, but not to be able to use the licences to import what they required most. Importers also criticised the lateness in the announcement of the schedules, as it gave them no time to plan their importing campaigns for the period. Gerterally speaking,, the approach of importers to the new schedules was flavoured by the attitude of the Minister towards the particular lines which they were handling themselves. One man pointed out that he had handled a line for many years, but in the past period he was not granted a licence. A firm in the north, however, which had never handled these goods, had been granted special licences for them. He said that he believed that importers furthest away from Wellington, with no opportunity to present their case as readily or as favourably to the Customs Department in the capital city, were treated the worst in respect to special licensing. The method of the presentation of the new schedules, he said, led him to believe that special licences would figure more prominently than ever in the importation plan for 1950.