Lib Dem says lax import controls are costing us millions (South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@secambslibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dem says lax import controls are costing us millions

November 13, 2008 7:26 PM

At a time when every penny of tax counts local Liberal Democrat campaigner Jonathan Chatfield claims that lax controls on the payment of tax and duty on imports through our ports such as Stansted Airport could be costing the exchequer millions of pounds in lost revenue.

Drawing attention to a stinging report just published by the National Audit Office Jonathan Chatfield the Liberal Democrats' parliamentary spokesperson for South East Cambridgeshire said:

"The NAO report concludes that the lack of information on compliance levels and the declining number of trader audits risks diluting the control Customs and Excise has over imports.

"It says HMRC needs to develop 'minimum' levels for checks and trader audits, so that importers pay the right amount of tax and duty, and fully comply with the laws on prohibited and restricted goods.

"Once again we see the Government failing in its duty to control even its basic responsibilities. Failure to collect all the tax and duty due in the end results in higher taxation for the rest of us.

"Liberal Democrats are the only party offering a four pence in the pound income tax cut for low and middle income earners to put more money in their pockets to keep people employed through the recession.

"We believe this is possible in part by tightening up on tax avoidance which is costing the country billions of pounds and which ordinary people have to make up through higher taxes."