I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they are committed to ensuring that the business community and other interested parties are provided with comprehensive information and given every possible assistance to enable them to prepare fully for the various changes being introduced in relation to VAT, excise, customs and trade statistics as a result of the completion of the Single Market on 1 January 1993.
A major publicity and information campaign dealing with the various elements of the Single Market changes has already been launched by the Commissioners and is now well under way. The measures already taken and planned include:
—the issue free of charge, of information bulletins giving details of the changes in question and signalling the operational implications of these changes for the business community. The first of these bulletins was issued last year to advise traders of the background to the changes and to give them an overview of the state of play of EC discussions. Traders were brought up to date with developments in a second bulletin issued at the beginning of this year and further bulletins will be issued as necessary later this year;
—consultations with a wide range of trade representative bodies to inform them fully of the compliance implications of the Single Market changes, to ensure that their concerns are taken into account as far as possible in the way the changes are implemented and that there is effective liaison between these bodies and Revenue in preparation for 1993;