Border Levy Bill Completes First Reading
The first reading of the Border Processing (Arrivals and Departures) Levy Bill has been completed.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the bill would bring in an arrival and departure levy on international travelers to fund customs and bio-security control.
How the levy would be set and paid is yet to be finalised, but it was likely the levy would be set a six dollars on departures and $16 on arrivals through people’s tickets.
Mr Guy cited the high cost of biosecurity incursions and the need to fund dealing with these and more security at the border.
Border
processing costs that could be subject to the levies include
the costs of—
• profiling and risk assessment
activities required before travellers arrive at the
border:
• processing activities to verify compliance at
the border:
• post-border activities that are relevant
to identifying and managing border processing risks.
The
Bill imposes liability on travellers to pay a levy while an
Order in Council is in force and specifies the purpose of
the levy.
The Bill provides for an Order in Council to
be made that prescribes the levy rate or the basis for
calculating the levy, details of costs to be recovered, and
other provisions relating to the administration of the
levy.
Rino Tirakatene said Labour opposed the bill because biosecurity was well funded by the Crown and it was just another tax on travelers.
Mr Tirakatene
wondered whether the lexy was being raised to cover a blow
out in costs in the new Joint Border Management
System.
The bill completed its first reading by 73 to 40 with National, Greens, Maori Party, ACT and United Future in favour.
MPs began the second reading, the bill is meant to be passed through all stages under the Urgency motion which followed Thursday’s Budget.
**
ParliamentToday.co.nz is a breaking news
source for New Zealand parliamentary business featuring
broadcast daily news
reports