Mystery Of £600,000
p. 81 · Read in the full issue
In Nc Imports
Prom Our Noumea Correspondent GOODS worth nearly £A600,000 have been imported into New Caledonia by means of foreign money that has not been issued by the local Exchange Office.
This astonishing disclosure is made in the latest report of the Government Economic Bureau.
It is generally assumed that most of the nupney came from the New Hebrides in the form of cheques.
A common practice is to order the goods and then, when they arrive at the Customs, to place a jait accompli before the exchange authorities and ask for an import licence.
Tonkinese are partial to this system, which may explain the flood of shoddy Asiatic goods in Tonkinese shops.
It has now been announced that u an import licence is not obtained before goods are ordered, the im porter will be liable to penalties and permission to land the goods will be refused. mysterious £600,000 has done nothing to improve New Caledonia’s’ trade balance.