Plea for Export Authority

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 22

Plea for Export Authority

Export procedures necessary to obtain Governmental approvals if more than one Government Department is involved is causing frustrations and duplications, according to Mr D. A. M. Graham, an Auckland barrister.

‘‘ E ven after going through several of the Departments there’s no guarantee consent can be obtained — up to very last one,” he added. “This is highly undesirable,” said Mr Graham. “It must be causing loss of earnings to New Zealand, disillusionment to exporters themselves, as well as being inefficient.

"The amount of red-tape involved is obviously clogging up the system, causing undue delays and must have a very real bearing on our ability to compete effectively on world markets,” said Mr Graham. In a recent case an exporter sought consent, [while in a foreign country, [ for an export deal involving [ potential earnings of $3.5M (gross a year to New Zealand. r Seven consents were re-. Squired and to obtain them, I the shortest estimate of lime was eight weeks. The de- [ partments were Customs, I Immigration, Agriculture and ■ Fisheries, Reserve Bank, Transport, Trade and In- : dustry as well as the Cabi- ! net Economics Committee. | ‘“To be constructive,” said ! Mr Graham, “why can’t we

look at establishing one Export Authority?” “It could comprise the Chairman of the overseas investment. commission and the heads of the departments of Agriculture and Fisheries, Trade and Industry,” he added.

“Whenever more than one consent is required the exporter can apply to this Export Authority who, if

satisfied can direct all the other departments involved to consent immediately,” said Mr Graham. “More exports mean greater economic stability — and we may continue to get neither as long as all of this red tape stifles and disillusions the very people we! are relying on to provide, both — the exporter himself,” concluded Mr Graham. I