Wednesday, July 19, 1972
PROPOSED EXPORT LICENSING SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN PRODUCTS
The Health and Safety Committee of the Trade and Industry Advisory
Board has recommended in its final report that guidelines be drawn up and
widely disseminated to manufacturers to avoid the export of manifestly dangerous
and unhygienic products.
The Committee has also recommended the introduction of an export
licensing system for foodstuffs, toys and electrical products using mains power,
supplemented by a system of spot-checks on product samples by industrial inspectors.
This was stated today by the Director of Commerce and Industry, the
Hon. J. Cater, in reply to Dr. the Hon. S.Y. Chung.
Dr. Chung had asked whether the Government was in a position to publish,
and to state its view on, the findings and recommendations of the Committee.
Mr. Cater said the proposed export licensing system would allow him
a degree of control, which he did not have at present, over exports of the three
categories of products.
However, he said, the proposed spot-check system could be expensive
to operate on a scale necessary to achieve effective results.
After in-depth consideration, he had concluded that the extent of the
problem was not yet sufficiently serious to warrant the considerable interference
with trade and the substantial expenditure of public funds that a spot-check
system would entail, he said.
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"My proposals were considered and endorsed by the Trade and Industry
Advisory Board at its meeting of June 12 and they are now being considered further
within the Government.
"Once a final decision has been made, I would hope that the report of the
Committee will be published," he said.
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