Poor government engagement hampers business Brexit planning

21st March 2019

The Road Haulage Association is frustrated with HMRC’s continuing failure to help businesses prepare for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

Trade bodies including the RHA have criticised Whitehall officials about their “quality of engagement” which has left industry with a “fragmented understanding” of government plans.

HuffPost reports that businesses attending the Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) told HMRC that firms aren’t ready for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. They said that the department hasn’t given industry enough information about new customs processes and is sceptical of how they would work in practice.

RHA managing director of policy and public affairs, Rod McKenzie said that the government is still keeping firms in the dark about ‘no-deal’ preparations leaving them unable to plan for the future.

“We’ve not been able to fully communicate government plans to our members; the information we can share is woefully inadequate, incomplete and doesn’t give firms the support they need. Government inertia has left UK businesses unprepared for the realities of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.”

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