British Local Government Minister Bob Neill has met port users in Kent to consider a bill to eliminate back taxes from 2008 which threatens 14 harbour businesses with bankruptcy.
    Mr Neill said there was a danger the bill could be passed because of the time it takes for legislation to reach Royal Assent, but reaffirmed the Conservative-led coalition's commitment to pass it.
    Kent-based Gefco, a British Automotive Logistics firm, has considered moving its facility with it 16,000-vehicle capacity, to France to pay the surprise tax bill GBP3 million (US$4.7 million), said director Howard Nash, according to London's International Freighting Weekly.
    "It looks like we are going to be able to stop paying the GBP3 million we were billed and it does allow us to start looking again at investment and, in fact, we are already investing - we've just opened a new centre in Portbury," he said.
    The taxes have forced companies to repay backdated bills of up to GBP9 million for shipping line DFDS and ferry operator P&O bill of GBP5 million.
    Customs clearance and freight service companies Kleerfreight has cut its workforce by six out of 10 since it began repayment said its managing director Andy Barnes. "We are unable to make any decision to start employing again until we know these charges will be deleted and our money returned."

Source: Shipping Gazette