Customs witness tax danger in Northern Ireland

"UK Customs & Excise officers have been given a graphic demonstration of the serious consequences for Northern Ireland as a result of the impending aggregates tax. On a two-day visit, organized jointly by the Quarry Products Association (Northern Ireland) and the British Aggregates Association, officials saw how easily untaxed aggregates could be imported across the border from the Republic."

"Among the many threats to jobs and businesses in the North this would create, the delegation heard that already: substantial investment in Tarmac’s quarry at Ederney had been put on hold, threatening the livelihoods of 28 workers; Ready Use Concrete were negotiating for relocation of their existing operations in Strabane and Derry to the Republic; and 30 jobs were under threat at Tracey Concrete in Enniskillen, together with the cancellation of investment in new concrete mixers."

"The problems of different tax regimes were further highlighted during a brief excursion across the border, where the price of petrol is noticeably cheaper. The Customs team saw at first hand how this had led to the large number of derelict filling stations in the border regions of Northern Ireland, and were warned that the same could happen to the region’s aggregates industry if cheaper, tax-free products were imported from the South."

"At the end of the visit the Customs & Excise team agreed that the situation was alarming and expressed genuine concern over the threat to Northern Ireland’s aggregates producers. As the delegation departed for London, Paddy Clarke of Paddy Clarke & Sons in Lisnaskea, another business threatened by the impending tax, asked the officials to do everything in their power to convince the Treasury of the seriousness of the situation."