High speed customs plan

gets mixed reaction

Exporters to Australia will be able to save time and money if a new customs clearance system current ly under debate becomes a reality.

The proposal from the Australian Customs Service to upgrade the control and clearance of cargo has had a mixed reaction. Importers are generally in favour while some customs agents are against.

The scheme, known as the Integrated Cargo Control and Clearance System (ICCCS) would require information on any cargo to be lodged with Customs before the cargo ar rives.

Cargo would then be asses sed and cleared at point of entry to Australia instead of at point of destination which is the current practice.

Comptroller-General of the Australian Customs Service, Mr Tom Hayes, said it was essen tial that Customs knows what is in any cargo at the earliest possible stage.

“The majority of cargo com ing into Australia is unloaded at Sydney or Melbourne,” he said. “It is then transported by road, rail sea or air under bond.

The cargo is open to interfer ence at this time transporta tion can take days or weeks for the purpose of commercial fraud or the removal of narco tics.

“It is just not good enough that we do not have details about what is in the container until it arrives at its final destina tion. ”

However, he said, where a cargo inspection is required, this would still be carried out at the point of destination.

He said importers could save money by arranging earlier ac cess to their goods once Cus toms has notified that it no longer has any interest in the shipment.

“Subject to industry giving us their co-operation we could clear 90 per cent of cargo from Customs control from the mo ment it was unloaded from ship or aircraft,” Hayes said.

Consultations on the propo sal began in October 1985 with industry, unions and other in terested parties.

A discussion paper, released last November, invited submis sions before the end of this month. This, in turn, heralds a new round of discussions.

Comptroller-General of Australia’s Customs Service, Tom Hayes.