Brexit hits British business with 'increased costs, paperwork and border delays': report

Britain's post-Brexit plans to have the world's most effective border by 2025 were described Wednesday by a House of Commons committee as "a noteworthy ambition" but one that is hard to achieve due to a lack of concrete measures.

In a hard-hitting report, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said there has been a clear increase in costs, paperwork and border delays for British business since Britain left the European Union (EU).

"It has not helped by repeated delays to a new import regime," the committee added.

Since the end of the transition period on Dec. 31, 2020 when Britain finally left the bloc, the country's trade volumes have been suppressed by the impact of COVID-19 and wider global pressures, it said.

"The government has ambitious plans to create 'the most effective border in the world' by 2025. While this is a noteworthy ambition, it is optimistic, given where things stand today and we are not convinced that it is underpinned by a detailed plan to deliver it," the report said.

The PAC said if cross border passenger volumes recover during 2022 as the pandemic subsides, there is potential for disruption at the border with the EU. Cross-Channel volumes have been at a fraction of normal levels because of the pandemic.

It will be exacerbated, warned the committee, by "further checks at ports as part of the EU's new Entry and Exit system." This is especially likely at ports like the English port of Dover where EU officials carry out border checks on the British side.

Politician Meg Hillier, chair of the committee, said: "One of the great promises of Brexit was freeing British businesses to give them the headroom to maximize their productivity and contribution to the economy -- even more desperately needed now on the long road to recovery from the pandemic. Yet the only detectable impact so far is increased costs, paperwork and border delays."

"In our view, there is much more work the government should be doing in the short term to understand and minimize the current burden on those trading with the EU and to have a border in place which is operating effectively without further delays or temporary measures," said Hillier.