MEMBERS OF IMPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 May 1950, Page 4

MEMBERS OF IMPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— Membership of the Import Advisory Committee was announced by the Minister of Customs, Mr. Bowden, in a Press statement tonight. He said, members, who would serve on a fulltime basis, would be: Chairman, Sir David Smith; members, Messrs. G. W. Clinkard, D. I. MacDonald, and R. A. Laidlaw, a director and former general manager of the Farmers' Trading Company. Mr. R. E. Wilson, of the Department of Industries and Commerce, has been appointed secretary. The committee was expected to begin work with offices in Wellington in about a fortnight, Mr. Bowden said. The committee would have three functions. These would be: (a) To examine the present import licensing system and make recommendations to make the system businesslike and efficient; (b) to recommend an import licensing schedule for the period beginning on January 1, 1951; (c) to consider appeals and certain special applications for import licences involving relatively large amounts on overseas funds and industrial development proposals. Many suggestions had already been received from trade organisations and individuals concerning the committee’s first function, the Minister continued. These would be passed to t>he committee with reports prepared by the departments concerned. The committee was to report first on reforms considered immediately necessary and then on other modifications as experience suggested that these should be made. Among departmental reports awaiting the committee’s consideration are recommendations for complete decontrol of many items now in the licensing schedule. Preliminary work- on the draft schedule for 1951 had already been begun by the departments concerned. Estimates, of overseas funds likely to be available for licensed imports in the next period would soon be ready for the committee. The Government had decided that the next licensing schedule should be available to businessmen not later than July 31. Mr. Bowden added that the precisa scope of the committtee's work under the third heading would be determined after the initial overhauling of the system 'had been made and the ISSI schedule issued. By this time there should be a clearer appreciation of the nature and scope of the modified system of control Mr. Bowden said the present move represented the first major step in

implementing the Government’s elec* tion policy of establishing a semi-in-dependent advisory authority to consider all phases of the import policy and administration The Government had taken it in the desire to redeem with a minimum of delay its election pledges in this important part of in economic policy “Rather than wait for the passing of legislation later in the year, the Government has decided to appoint this interim committee with limited functions to enable early progress to be made with more urgently-needed changes in the import licensing system,” the Minister continued “The committee will be wholly advisory but its members are of high standing and widely experienced, so that its recommendations should be soundly made and therefore likely to be acceptable to lhe Government The appointment of the committee will enable the Government to have, within a short time, independent advice on those aspects of import control policy and. administration on which businessmen throughout the Dominion have been pressing for reforms for a long time’’ Mr. Bowden said that in determining membership of the committee it was essential to choose men of integrity who would look first to the interests of the country as a whole. Nevertheless it was also desirable that certain members should each have special knowledge of the particular fields with which the committee would be concerned. For example, it was desirable that one member should have special knowledge of the relationship of Government departments and agencies to trade and industry, that another should have special knowledbe of the interests of manufacturers, and that another should have special knowledge of the interests of importers. It was desirable also that each member should recognise the importance of the farming industry, and that at least one member should have special knowledge of the needs of farmers. “To preside over this committee, which would, necessarily deal with interests which tended to conflict, it was essential that the chairman should be one who, even though he had at the outset no special knowledge of any particular field, was accustomed to impartial investigation and to reaching a considered judgment. “After weighing the evidence, Mr. Bowden concluded, “the Government considered that the chairman should also be one whose standing would give additional confidence in the independence and impartiality of the committee.”