EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1990 NO. 304
Issued by authority of the Minister of State for Resources
EXPORT INSPECTION (SERVICE CHARGE) ACT 1985
EXPORT INSPECTION (SERVICE CHARGE) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Section 9 of the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Act 1985 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 6 and 7 of the Act.
Subsection 6(1) of the Act imposes charges on the provision of an export inspection service at an establishment that is registered for operations associated with the preparation of a prescribed commodity specified in the regulations.
Subsection 6(3) of the Act imposes charges on the provision of an external export inspection service that is provided in relation to a prescribed commodity specified in the regulations.
The amendment amends the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations to specify dried tree fruit (other than prunes) and dried vine fruit as prescribed commodities.
Under Section 7 of the Act, the rate of charge for the provision of an export inspection service at an establishment or an external export inspection service is such rate, calculated by reference to time, as is applicable under the regulations.
In respect of each of the two newly prescribed commodities the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations also now provide for rates of charge.
Details of the amendments are set out in the attachment.
The amendments commence on 1 October 1990.
ATTACHMENT
EXPORT INSPECTION (SERVICE CHARGE) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
The amendment amends the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations in the following manner.
Regulation 3 specifies dried tree fruit (other than prunes) and dried vine fruit as prescribed commodities thus allowing for the imposition of charges under the Act.
Regulation 4 sets two rates of charge: one for each attendance by an authorized officer at an establishment registered for the operations associated with the preparation of dried tree fruit (other than prunes) or dried vine fruit; and the other for an export inspection service carried out at the authorized officer’s base office. The rates of charge are to be $59 for each half hour or part thereof, and $5 for each quarter hour or part thereof 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 are being amended to remove dried fruit from charge by reference to quantity. The quantity based charge is being replaced by a charge calculated on a time basis, as introduced by these amendments to the Export Inspection (Service Charge) Regulations, and a charge based on establishment registration, as introduced by 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.