Apathetic importers under fire

TRADE CONSULTANT John Busuttil has criticised traders for their apathy in addressing Customs-related issues. "If a problem exists, we should be able to rectify it. But you cannot if apathy exists," he told FTW. "When a serious problem arises with one importer, the others tend to ignore it," he said. "It's not their problem, and they don't want to incur the wrath of the all-powerful SARS. "This attitude is counter-productive, as sooner or later it will become their concern." Such apathy and limited opposition to problems that arise leads to a dictatorship, according to Busuttil. "And in such a situation," he added, "an extreme element can take over and draconian measures be put in place." There's also a need for another mechanism for solving disputes, according to Busuttil. "The only remedy at present," he said, "is a High Court action. But this is an expensive and time-consuming project Ð and we need to find quicker and more economical solutions." This, along with lack of experienced personnel and SARS using a monetary criterion for solving any issues, will not necessarily be resolved in the short-term. "Nothing I have said said so far is new or revolutionary," he told FTW. "But, unless some positive steps are taken, things will not change."