The Chamber of Commerce have announced what’s come out of their crisis summit at the Ainslie Football Club.
“The overwhelming message from small business owners is they want a ‘fair go’ and for the ACT Government to take a more active role in assisting them to succeed; and a fresh approach is needed by all stakeholders in recognising the important role small business plays in the ACT economy,” said Chamber CEO, Andrew Blyth.
Issues raised at the Summit included: local businesses not receiving priority in procurement decisions; the taxation system unresponsive to changing business circumstances; a need for the public service to understand small business; the value of a Buy Canberra campaign; quicker decision making on tenders; automatic interest payment on late payment of invoices by government; flexible employment laws; and the need to quickly develop key infrastructure in the nation’s capital.
They also take aim at the golden child of tourism:
“The ACT Government currently provides $10 million to drive business and industry development, while tourism receives $40 million. We are arguing for more funds to accelerate private sector investment, particularly when seeking to attract interstate and overseas investment,” Andrew said.
