EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1990 NO. 303
Issued by authority of the Minister of State for Resources
EXPORT INSPECTION (ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION CHARGES) ACT 1985
EXPORT INSPECTION (ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION CHARGES) REGULATIONS AMENDMENT
Section 9 of the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Act 1985 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of sections 6 and 7 of the Act. Subsection 6(1) of the Act imposes a charge on the registration of an establishment that is registered for operations associated with the preparation of a prescribed commodity specified in the regulations.
Under section 7 of the Act, the rate of charge in respect of the registration of an establishment is such rate as is applicable under the regulations to that establishment or to that class of establishments in which the establishment is included.
The Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations have been amended to specify dried tree fruit (other than prunes) and dried vine fruit as prescribed commodities. The amendments also set rates of charge in respect of establishments registered for processing those commodities establishments registered for storing those commodities.
Details of the amendments are set out in the attachment.
The amendments commence on 1 October 1990.
ATTACHMENT
EXPORT INSPECTION (ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION CHARGES) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The amendments amend the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations in the following manner.
Regulation 3 specifies dried tree fruit (other than prunes) and dried vine fruit as prescribed commodities. This allows for the imposition of charges on the registration of an establishment that is registered for the operations associated with the preparations of those commodities.
Regulation 4 sets two rates of charge; one for those establishments registered for processing dried tree fruit (other than prunes) or dried vine fruit, or both; and the other for establishments registered for storing those commodities. The rates of charge are $530 per annum and $265 per annum respectively.
The above amendments are part of a package of amendments to export inspection charging legislation in respect of dried fruit. The Export Inspection (Quantity Charge) Regulations have been amended to remove dried fruit from charge by reference to quantity. The quantity based charge has been replaced by a charge calculated on a time basis, as introduced by way of simultaneous amendments to the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations, and a charge based on establishment registration, as introduced by these amendments to the Export Inspection (Establishment Registration Charges) Regulations.
The apportionment of the new charges between establishment registration charge and service charge has been calculated on the basis that the registration charge should closely equate with Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service central and regional office costs and the service charge should closely equate with the direct cost of the provision of inspection services.
The new export inspection charging system for the above commodities will more closely align inspection services with the fee for service regime now in place for most other export commodities prescribed under the Export Control Act 1982.
The package of changes in charging for export inspection of dried fruit is intended to encourage more efficient utilisation of export inspection services resulting in an overall reduction in inspection costs.
The quantum of the new charges is on the basis of recovering 60% of the cost of the provision of the export inspection services.