The Federal Government has been urged to make clear to Australian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) precisely how they are likely to be impacted by the new carbon price regime.
The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) chief executive, Andrew Conway (pictured), said it had been almost a week since the Government’s release of the carbon price policy, yet small business owners were still no closer to knowing how it would impact them.
“It is clear that more modelling is urgently needed to assess the impact that it will have on SMEs across a range of industries from retailers to manufacturers,” he said.
Conway said it was unfortunate that the only direct benefit that small business owners would receive would be in the reform of personal income tax.
“We are deeply disappointed that there will be no direct assistance provided to the small business sector, which is already feeling the pinch,” he said.
Conway said that as small businesses moved closer to 2012 it would become vital for SMEs to identify new ways of delivering their products and service more efficiently to help minimise the impact on their bottom lines.
“The Government’s jury will be the two million small business owners in Australia who, up to this point, appear to have missed out in having their concerns heard,” he said.
