TORONTO, (July 22, 2004) — The Ontario Trucking Association is asking the provincial Ministry of Finance to address its concerns over new regulations affecting carriers that transport tobacco in or out of Ontario.

Earlier this year, the Ministry’s Motor Fuels and Tobacco Branch of the issued a 2004 tax bulletin concerning new permitting requirements, monthly filing requirements, and an increased fine schedule for carriers and shippers that move and distribute Tobacco.

Inter-jurisdictional transporters must maintain required documentation, including a completed uniform manifest form, their registration certificate (or a notarial copy if the transporter has more than one motor vehicle), and a notarial copy of the registration certificate of the importer or exporter for whom they are transporting the tobacco.

Every inter-jurisdictional transporter must deliver to the Minister, on or before the 28th day of each month, a Tobacco Tax Return along with Schedule 11 (Inter-jurisdictional Transporter of Tobacco products) with respect to all tobacco products transported into, through and out of Ontario in the immediately preceding month.

In addition, the Ministry issued another tax bulletin in May 2004, which increases the minimum fine for a number of offences to $500 or $1000.

The OTA has written the ministry and asked it to clarity several aspects of the new rules, such as: Why is the department placing its policing and auditing responsibilities on the trucking industry — and what consideration has been given to the cost to the carriers for system changes and on-going administration to accommodate the reporting requirement?

Moreover, the OTA wants to know how Ontario shippers and carriers will be able to find out that each is registered, as required by the new regs.

This month the OTA received a letter from the Ministry indicating that they would like to work with OTA and its carrier members in a form of outreach and consultation group on their approach to implementing these new regulations. The OTA is asking interested carriers to contact OTA’s Geoff Wood by phone at 416-249-7401 ext. 248 or by email at geoffrey.wood@ontruck.org.