Business calls for real assistance from State Budget

12 June

Statement by Beatrice Booth, President

In the lead up to next week's State Budget release, Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland (CCIQ) has renewed calls for meaningful assistance to the state's battling business community.

This State Budget must prioritise economic and employment growth by providing substantial assistance to businesses who are struggling to protect and grow their employees.

CCIQ is urgently calling for:

  • The State Budget to be fiscally responsible. It must have a transparent plan to return to a budget operating surplus, which will restore the state's AAA credit rating.
  • The State Budget to provide a smaller more flexible, efficient and highly skilled public service workforce that will work cooperatively and engage with business.
  • The State Budget to ease the cost burden on businesses in order to assist them through the global economic crisis. This will then promote every opportunity to employ. Any plans must include a payroll tax holiday for 2009-10 and the retention of the Fuel Subsidy Scheme.
  • The compliance and paperwork burden on all businesses to be reduced immediately by developing innovative and practical ways, in coordination with business, to decrease red tape that is currently stifling business efficiency. One third of employers' time is taken up with unnecessary red tape.
  • The State Budget to ensure sufficient provision for development with the private sector of a long-term plan to maintain current key assets and develop, construct and operate new key assets that will ensure the state's infrastructure network is capable of meeting demand well into the future.
  • The State Budget to ensure a concentrated focus on improving investment in skills, education and training.

CCIQ has urged the State Government to ensure the structural integrity of the Budget is addressed before any asset sales are considered or Government fees and charges increased.

Under current State Government policy, 45 per cent of the State Budget is paid in public service wages and salaries, which is effectively insulated from any requirement for efficiency measures. The protection of the Queensland public service is contrary to best practice and potentially costs taxpayers over $1.1 billion, as identified by the Commonwealth Government's Productivity Commission. We can no longer afford this.

There is a unified voice amongst Queensland businesses imploring the State Government to recognise business' importance in the future of this state. The Budget must enable business to protect and grow jobs through these extraordinary times.

The Government has continually stated that we must work together during these difficult times. Business is determined to ensure proper consultation is undertaken to enable all taxpayers to live in the prosperous and successful state that is Queensland. This can be achieved by recognising that business is the backbone of the state's past achievements.

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Media contact

David Argus
General Manager - Public Relations & Media
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland
t: 07 3842 2263