In a major victory for The Fresh Produce Consortium, the trade body has secured an amnesty worth some £1 million on charges for plant health imports through the government’s PEACH system. The announcement comes as revised procedures for plant health imports are to be introduced from November 18.
FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney said: “After months of turmoil and indecision it’s great that we have reached a position where we can move forward as an industry. Thanks to FPC and members’ efforts in lengthy negotiations we now have positive news for the industry. What’s more we have secured clarity with regard to historical invoicing, which will be a welcome bonus in this challenging trading period. This will have an impact on all businesses which import fruit, vegetables or cut flowers, and non-members are profiting off the back of efforts by FPC and its members. Perhaps it’s time for you to invest some of the money you’ve saved into your industry’s future by joining FPC.”
A number of changes had to be made to the IT systems supporting the charging process which meant that invoices for plant health import inspections had not been issued since March 2008. DEFRA Plant Health has confirmed that companies will not be charged for imports notified to PEACH from March 1 to October 31, 2008.
From November 18, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs will require a quarantine release certificate (QRC), issued following completion of inspection, to secure the release of plant health controlled consignments into free circulation. DEFRA Plant Health has introduced a trial period until November 18 and companies can download a QRC from the PEACH system and fax it to HMRC.
Jenney said: “It’s important that companies take the opportunity to use the revised system immediately. This will give approximately a one-month trial period to ensure that all aspects of the revised system work satisfactorily from an industry perspective. We welcome feedback from companies during this trial period.
DEFRA has updated its plant health guide for importers, outlining the new arrangements for pre-arrival notification, presentation of documents, inspection and subsequent release of consignments. A new section relating to future calculation of inspection charges, including worked examples, has also been added.
Information on inspection charges, reduced levels of inspection and the importers guide are all available online. A separate guide explaining the arrangements for the pre-arrival notification of plant health controlled consignments using the PEACH system is expected from DEFRA soon.
No comments yet