No time to waste
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
In the UK we are remarkably illinformed on the rudimentary principles of Freeport operation. This was the opinion expressed recently by Norman Kemish, a past president of Southampton Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Kemish said that the six ports chosen: Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Prestwick and Southampton, were already flexing their muscles but were being restricted in speedy development. He accepted that no Government money would be made available to develop the ports but he strongly attacked Government intervention from another quarter. "The enig matical threat of a vat imposition is a paradox beyond belief," he said. "Only the Treasury of a British Government could approach an international race, on behalf of its athletes, with a starting pistol in one hand and a ball and chain in the other."
He regretted that there was no east coast Freeport. There were he said, "rich pickings in the rest of Europe just across the water."
The Freeports have five years to establish themselves and Mr Kemish warned that they could not waste time nor be parochial.
He says that the field for potential traffic is wide open and this should spur the chosen six.