Anonymous vehicle group wants stronger action against Japanese-owned rivals
Thursday, 1 November 2018
A anonymous group of vehicle dealers, inspectors and importers says NZ Transport Agency's warning to Japanese vehicle companies accused of potential conflicts of interest doesn't go far enough.
The anonymous local group is fronted by a public relations agent because it claims members were afraid of business reprisals in Japan - including the Yakuza mafia who it says has influence in Japanese ports.
One of the local car operators, 'John', spoke by telephone to Stuff - 'They'd squash me like a bug if they knew my identity. Our group is made up of small and large firms so confidentiality is very important to us.'
He claimed there was a 'potential' risk for New Zealand families buying cars because a New Zealand subsidiary of Japanese holding company Optimus imported vehicles while another subsidiary tested them.
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Optimus subsidiary JEVIC inspects vehicles in Japan, Nichibo imports and sells them, while VINZ tests them locally and carries out any necessary repairs.
The anonymous local industry group wants NZTA to revoke the licence of one or more of the companies involved, which deal with about 60 percent of Japanese imports.
A spokesman for the Optimus-owned companies said the conflict of interest was 'potential' and no actual conflict arose.
'Vehicle inspections were never improperly influenced … public safety was never compromised
'VINZ and JEVIC NZ are part of the inspection division of Optimus Group. We are independent operationally and in governance from other operating companies in the group.
'We have a full conflict of interest management plan in place … incorporated into staff codes of conduct and employment agreements.
'Staff employment agreements include confidentiality requirements and make it incumbent on staff to report any attempts or perceived attempts to influence the outcome of an inspection.
'The inspection companies can demonstrate the effective management of conflicts of interest with comprehensive data in the form of comparative rates of completion of inspection and rejection of vehicles together with analysis of reasons for rejection, and documentation of all meetings and contacts by external parties with inspectorate staff,' the Optimus spokesman said.
The corporation had commissioned and received an independent review from Deloittes.
Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show the local Optimus subsidiaries failed to notify NZTA of the 2015 Optimus purchase of VINZ until May 2016 and therefore breached its Notice of Appointment, resulting in NZTA's formal warning.
The potential conflicts of interest have been identified by the NZ Transport Agency board of directors 'as an area of serious concern'.
'The board has unanimously agreed that the policies need to change and has tasked the Transport Agency management team with implementing a new approach, noting that conflicts of interest are unacceptable in modern business practice.
'The Transport Agency is currently carrying out a thorough review of all policies relating to conflicts of interest to establish what changes are required to prevent similar situations from occurring.'