Mr. Brian Keegan:

The three areas of concern consistently identified were paperwork, policing and payment. On paperwork, they need to develop an appreciation of what they are actually trading in, with whom they are trading and the tariffs that are likely to apply. They need to develop expertise in how to complete the single administrative documents and deal with the various checks and requirements. They all acknowledge that a lot of their raw materials and exports will be more expensive for the end customer. However, they are equally concerned about the cash flow implications in meeting the customs and VAT costs on their imports. The State needs to help by clarifying for them as fast as possible the most likely shape of future customs requirements for businesses. We also need to identify ways by which we can mitigate the cash flow implications for them. There is not an awful lot that can be done about customs charges. Given that it took the European Union eight years to come up with a set of tariffs in the first place, it seems clear that they are not going to disappear or be modified overnight. There might be something that we can broker with the European Union at nation level on value added tax in order that the immediate, upfront hit on VAT would be less onerous. These are two practical suggestions.