Port bodies unhappy with checks delay
IN APRIL, the Brexit opportunities minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg, announced a fourth delay to physical checks on fresh food imported from the EU ahead of an anticipated July start of the next phase of Brexit.
Rees-Mogg said imposing physical checks as part of Brexit would be ‘an act of self-harm’. A new lighter touch regime could potentially be introduced in 2024. The British Ports Association voiced its concern that ports that have invested in infrastructure have been left to pick up the pieces. The industry is pressing government for compensation.
Depending on the requirements of the revised light touch regime, newly-built border control posts could be useless.
British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne (pictured), said: “Many UK port operators have built Border Control Posts in preparation for post Brexit checks and all were due to be ready. This announcement is a major policy change, meaning the facilities will effectively become white elephants, wasting millions of pounds of public and private funding, not to mention the huge effort there has been to get things ready in time.
“Most ports will need to recoup some of their construction and operating costs for their infrastructure and this is traditionally done through levying a charge on importers. Ports have been recruiting staff to operate the facilities but now this needs to stop.”
Tim Morris, CEO of the UK Major Ports Group added: “Many ports have been working incredibly hard and have invested over £100 million of their own money to build a network of brand new border checks to meet the requirements the Government has been insisting on for several years. This now looks like wasted time, effort, and money. Government needs to engage urgently with ports to agree how the substantial investments made in good faith can be recovered.”
