1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: The Motor Trade Association has come up with a retail 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: crime wish list for the government. It wants a bold, 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: innovative approach, increased security measures, more involvement from the police, 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: is especially around the sharing of offending online. First Retail 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: Group Managing Director First Retailers a retail business consultancy. By 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: the way, First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson is 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: with me. Chris, good morning, Good morning, Ryan. 8 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 2: How are you. 9 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: I'm well, thank you. One of the things that caught 10 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: my attention from this wish list from the MTA is 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: getting rebates on fuel taxes. This is the businesses when 12 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: fuel is stolen from them. 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely. Look, I think this is something that very few 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: of us realized, but the reality is that these retailers 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: have to pay that tax, whether they sell it or 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: stolen from them. 17 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: So they're wanting basically the government to give them, well, 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: not a handout, but to compensate for that. 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and when you think about it, it's entirely realistic. 20 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: You know, this is something that they would have otherwise 21 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: been able to claim the tax on and they're not 22 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: having that chance to How much. 23 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: Do you know, is there a figure on how much 24 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: gas fuel is stolen. 25 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: Look, I don't have a figure on it, but the 26 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: reality is it's happening more and more and it's a 27 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: very challenging situation for the sector. 28 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: What about the prepay because most places I would assume 29 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: have prepaid these days, so you avoid the problem altogether, 30 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: don't you. 31 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 2: Well look in urban areas, yes, prepay is it's kind 32 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 2: of what's happening at the moment. But for many of 33 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 2: these retailers, they're in the provincial areas, you know, the 34 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: heart of community businesses that people visit on a daily 35 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: basis to get their milk, get their pies, to get 36 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: their lunch supplies, and having the prepay model. Firstly, it's 37 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: an expensive thing to implement, but for many of these 38 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: smaller tell us it's just not practical. 39 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: They want to share footage. So when you get some 40 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: you know, some homie turning up and stealing fuel and 41 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: it's caught on CCTV camera, they want to be sharing 42 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: this more. Do you agree with that? 43 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, We've got to be much harder at the moment. 44 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 2: We're working over in the UK and you know there's 45 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: a real push now from the government and from the 46 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 2: businesses to start freeing up some of these privacy laws 47 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: because many of these offenders are hiding behind them and they. 48 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: Can right so you get your CCTV catches them, you 49 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: know it's them that's that's stolen something, but you can't 50 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: show the face online and say, you know, this person 51 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: stole from me because they have it hasn't been proven 52 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: in a court of law. 53 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: That's right. There are ways that these can be shared 54 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 2: within private networks quite legitimately. But I think that they're 55 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: starting to say, look, we know that people are hiding 56 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 2: behind these thoughts now and because of the changes in 57 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: the way this kind of activity is happening, the prevalence 58 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: of it and the impact it's having on our communities 59 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: and our economies, that we need to actually get a 60 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: lot tougher. 61 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time, Chris Wilkinson, First Retail 62 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: Group Managing Director, talking about the Motor Trade Association's wish 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: list for the government. 64 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: For more from News Talks B listen live on air 65 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you 66 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 2: go with our podcasts on Iartradio.