The Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs and Minister responsible for Customs, Geoff Prosser, today released a review recently conducted by Mr Lawrie Willett AO into administrative aspects of Australia`s anti-dumping and countervailing system and announced a number of administrative measures designed to improve the process for dealing with anti-dumping and countervailing applications.

Among these measures the most significant will involve a shortening of the existing time-frame for the investigation of complaints from the current 245 days to 215 days.

"This will be done in two ways," the Minister said.

"Firstly, the Australian Customs Service will reduce the time taken to examine applications for anti-dumping from 25 days to 20 days and will also cut time to establish a preliminary finding from 100 days to 85 days.

"This will mean Customs will reduce its involvement by 20 days. An additional 10 days will be removed by reducing the time it takes the Anti-Dumping Authority to deliver a final report to the Minister from 120 days to 110 days," he said.

Mr Prosser also announced that the Government has decided to refer Australia`s anti-dumping and countervailing arrangements to the Productivity Commission for report in 1997. Other aspects of the report from Mr Willet not implemented would be taken up as part of the reference to the Productivity Commission.

"In announcing these decisions I am conscious of the Government`s election commitment to reduce the time taken to resolve anti-dumping and countervailing measures from 245 days to 155 days," Mr Prosser said.

"But to do so - and to deliver many of Mr Willett`s recommendations - will require legislation. The Government will not move on the legislation front until the Productivity Commission report which will be delivered next year".

The reduction in the time scales which can be implemented without legislation will occur from 1 February 1997.