CUTTING RED TAPE FOR NORTHERN TERRITORY SMALL BUSINESS

The Coalition Government is backing Northern Territory small businesses with a $3 million investment in red tape reduction, to make it easier to start and grow a business.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the funding was part of the Government’s $300 million Small Business Regulatory Reform Agenda and our plan for a stronger economy. 

“Our plan recognises that the private sector employs nine out of every 10 workers and is focused on making sure that businesses stay competitive, keep in3vesting and continue to hire more workers,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“This new $3 million investment will allow small businesses to spend more of their time and money on growing their business and less on dealing with red tape.

“This will build on the Australian Government’s efforts that have already reduced Commonwealth regulatory burden on businesses and the community by almost $6.8 billion.”

Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education Michaelia Cash said the funding would give Northern Territory small business owners back more of their time in the automotive industry by making it easier to comply with government regulation.

“We are streamlining processes to make it easier for small businesses owners to get on with the job of creating new work for more Australians,” Minister Cash said.

Country Liberals Senator for the Northern Territory, Nigel Scullion, said Labor cannot be trusted on small business.

“Businesses in the automotive industry will find it easier to meet compliance obligations and find targeted information on how to start and grow a business with new ‘one stop shop’ portals,” Senator Scullion said.

“The Liberal National Government wants to help small businesses do what they do best, continue to grow the economy and employ 5.7 million Australians.”

“Unfortunately it is the Federal Government that is having to do the heavy-lifting for the Northern Territory economy, after Michael Gunner’s job-killing economic agenda has put a wrecking ball through the Territory economy.

“Territory Labor put a stop one of our largest employers – the gas industry – only to back down a year later and then is surprised that the Northern Territory is broke and jobs are disappearing.

“Any Territorians toying with the idea of voting for Federal Labor at the upcoming election, need look no further than the Gunner Labor Government’s economic record of bankrupting the Northern Territory, for what the outcome of a Shorten Labor Government will be.

“In contrast the Morrison Government is delivering for Australians the first Budget surplus in 12 years, over a million jobs created in five years with the lowest unemployment rate since 2012, and 230,000 fewer people on welfare than when we came to Government.

The projects include:

·       Online Portal: A new online portal to enable motor vehicle dealers, fleet owners and commercial passenger operators to complete their motor vehicle transactions electronically. This will save small businesses time and money as they will no longer need to physically visit the Motor Vehicle Registry office to register or transfer their vehicles.

·       Licence verification automation: Northern Territory small businesses will be able to automatically and safely transfer national police checks directly to other businesses. National police check results will soon be delivered four to five days earlier than the current delivery time, helping small businesses avoid delays in hiring employees or applying for licences.

This funding builds on the Coalition Government’s support for small business including increasing and extending the Instant Asset Write-Off initiative, fast-tracking tax relief for small and medium businesses and making it easier for small businesses to access finance through the $2 billion Securitisation Fund.