IMPORT’ LICENSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1940, Page 9

IMPORT’ LICENSES

TRRAFFICKING BARRED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The licence is granted to the applicant to import goods, and if he has no occasion to exercise the licence for the purpose of importing goods on his own behalf it should be surrendered," said the Minister of' Customs, Mr NasE yesterday. He added that this was particularly necessary at present, when the need to conserve overseas funds and make them available for essential requirements was so urgent.

Mr Nash said his attention had been drawn to what was regarded as trafficking in import licences, a practice under which the holder of a licence made it available for the importation of goods by another party. It had already been made clear that such trafficking or transfer of interests in licences was not approved of. "Except in the circumstances I will outline the entry of goods will accordingly not be permitted under a licence unless they are actually imported by the licence holder pursuant to an order placed either directly with the supplier overseas or through the supplier's local agent," said the Minister.

"It is understood that it is the practice in certain cases for goods to be purchased on a delivered-free-into-store basis. In such cases the importer enters the goods through the Customs and delivers them to the purchaser in terms of the contract. It i: not desired to upset business of that nature, and it has accordingly been decided that in such cases the goods concerned, though entered by the importer, may be written off the licence held by the purchaser provided (a) that evidence satisfactory to the Collector of Customs is produced that the- goods were imported in fulfilment of an order placed by the licence holder and (b) that a declaration under the Customs Acts is furnished by the importer to the effect that the goods have been imported pursuant tc an order received from the licence holder, whose name should be stated, and that the goods will be delivered to him.

"I hope," concluded the Minister, “that the above statement of the position will prove helpful to importers. They should avoid entering into arrangements regarding the use of licences which might lead to difficulty for them; in case of doubt, reference should be made to the Comptroller of Customs.”