The UK border: Preparedness for EU exit

I know that UK Government and UK Agencies are working very hard to prepare for Brexit.

I have personally worked for decades with both HMRC and Revenue Commissioners and I have deepest respect for the knowledge, competence and capacity of colleagues in those organizations.

Likewise are the Customs Services on the other side of the English Channel in France and Netherlands among the best in thecworld and very highly ranked by international institutions.

I know that HMRC – as well as other UK agencies – are doing their best. However time is short and the clock is ticking.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing central government departments.

The National Audit Office (NAO) published a report recently claiming thst it is not pissible for UK to be ready for a no-deal Brexit on 29 March 2018,

In the report it us said, ”HM Revenue and Customs estimate that, in the event of no deal, 145,000-250,000 traders would need to make customs declarations for the first time. HMRC would have to process 260 million customs declarations a year, up from the current 55 million”.

These are just some of the facts underlined in the National Audit Office’s (NAO) Brexit report published the other week.

If you haven’t read the report it is time to do so with 148 days to go to Brexit.

The NAO Comptroller and Auditor General Sir Amyas Morse said, with understatement, that “the British government has openly accepted the border will be less than optimal on day one of no deal”.

This is their view. Maybe they are right. What I know is that it will be a huge challenge for everybody involved if a deal is not made before March 2019.

You can read the entire report here:

National Audit Office: The UK border: Preparedness for EU exit