TASMANIA’S peak business organisation, the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) has strongly endorsed the four major issues that have been identified as critical for small business survival and success.
As part of its ‘Small Business. Too Big To Ignore’ campaign, the national chamber movement has identified ‘The Big 4 You Can’t Ignore’ issues in the lead up to, and following the federal election as the crucial need to:
Cut down on red tape;
Simplify the tax system;
Make it easier to employ people; and
Build better infrastructure.
TCCI Chief Executive Michael Bailey said the ‘Big 4’ issues, which were announced in Canberra today, would be pursued by the business movement between now and the election in September.
Mr Bailey said these issues were critical for Tasmanian small businesses that were being held back by increasing government red tape, a complex taxation system, an inflexible workplace relations system and ageing infrastructure.
“We need government to recognise and address these problems and whichever party wins power in September to bring in clear strategies to remedy the situation,” he said.
“At every level of government, regulation is suffocating small business and our tax and finance systems are virtually impossible for the average small business person to understand and comply with.
“Australia has become a very costly place for small business to hire, retain and dismiss staff, and when times are tough, that means jobs are lost and hours are cut.
“Every Tasmanian knows that our major roads are congested, sea transport inefficient and costly, and our rail network antiquated.
“These are the reasons why the national chamber movement launched its nationwide grassroots campaign Small Business. Too Big To Ignore, to clearly place the needs of small business on the national political agenda.”
Mr Bailey said the campaign had developed a series of advertisements highlighting the Big 4 issues using real small business people, showing how they were impacting on employers and employees. These are now available on the website www.toobigtoignore.org.au.
“The message is not built by scriptwriters and actors, but by real small business people telling their stories.
“The campaign is a movement for the silent majority in the vital private sector of our economy.
“We are telling politicians of all political persuasions that something real is happening in our suburbs and towns and it will continue beyond 14 September. And in Tasmania it will continue right up to the State election in March.
“On their own, small businesses only have small voices, but together, they are too big and too important to be ignored by our politicians.
“Our state and federal politicians will ignore this movement at their peril,” Mr Bailey said.