RHA CHIEF executive Richard Burnett has reacted to Lord Agnew’s comment that businesses trading with the EU have their ‘head in the sand’ over Brexit.
Commenting, he said, ‘With weeks to go until the transition period ends, government are still saying ‘let’s wait and see what deal we get.’ What sort of message is that sending out?
‘Regardless of the final result, the paperwork will still need to be completed. One of our major concerns is that there will be a significant shortfall of customs agents.’
Lord Agnew, a minister of state working on Brexit preparedness at the Treasury and HMRC, said too few companies were ready for the extra paperwork they will need to complete when Britain’s EU transition period ends on 31 December.
Richard Burnett said ‘It’s clear that Lord Agnew doesn’t understand how the logistics industry works, who the experts are, or the market itself. He says that his department is simply asking businesses who trade with the EU to get ready. We, in turn, are simply asking Lord Agnew’s department to give businesses the clarity that they need to make that happen.’
