Palaszczuk Government efforts to cut small business red tape on track

Published Monday, 24 July, 2017 at 08:18 AM

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch

The Palaszczuk Government is making it easier for small businesses to operate through its commitment to reducing red tape.

Small Business Minister Leeanne Enoch said today (Monday) the Better Regulation Taskforce’s (formerly the Red Tape Reduction Advisory Council) first six-monthly progress report highlighted work was on track to implement all 14 of the recommendations previously made to reduce the regulatory burden and costs to small business operators.

“Small businesses are an important driver of economic and employment growth in the Queensland economy and are likely to feel the burden of regulation more than other businesses,” Ms Enoch said.

“We have seen our small business numbers grow from 406,000 to 414,000 – the biggest increase in the numbers of small business in Queensland in three years – and this is a result of our government listening to small businesses and delivering programs to meet their needs

“Our economic plan is setting the right conditions for business growth after the disastrous cuts of the Newman-Nicholls Government – particularly to vital support programs for Queensland small businesses.

“Unlike the LNP, we are actually working with Queensland small businesses to build a better Queensland,” she said.

The Red Tape Reduction Advisory Council was established in August 2015 to provide the Palaszczuk Government with advice on red tape areas of most concern to small business, and to assist in providing a business environment conducive to strong, profitable and globally competitive businesses. 

The establishment of the council was an element of a broader commitment by the government to create a balanced regulatory environment that will continue through the work of the Better Regulation Taskforce.

Ms Enoch said the six-monthly report was based upon feedback from small business and identified a broad range of reform opportunities that could provide benefits to Queensland’s small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

She said further work would be undertaken to identify other opportunities to reduce red tape, and the government would consider those additional reforms.

“The six-monthly report gives us a basis for further work and consultation to develop a revised regulatory framework that cuts costs for small businesses,” she said.

ENDS

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