Anonymous - Comment

As a part owner of a small food import company, I find it VERY hard to swallow that we are facing more charges(taxes) from an organization as poorly organized as FDA. It is already unbelievably frustrating that we face inconsistent policies, time lines, and communication from FDA but it is going to be salt on the wound when we know we are paying a $250/hr tax for subjective time spent reviewing some entries. If FDA was able to set firm guidelines for removing product from alert lists, was able to provide detailed invoices showing the time and effort spent on entries, etc, it would improve the situation. However, FDA has showed that "customer service" is not a priority and I fear that small businesses will end up suffering greatly at the hands of FDA. Will we have to worry about be charged for calling a local inspector with questions? With these charges, will FDA improve its handling of entries in a timely manner? Will it update us on its progress when we are working with them to remove manufacturers from the alert list? Small businesses already support this country on their backs despite the “support” of government agencies like FDA. Now we are being asked to pay for “services” that should already be covered through regular tax dollars. Hopefully, improvements will result, but with FDA’s track record, I find it highly unlikely.