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Tasmanian
business owners and workers feel let down by the Gutwein Government and its
hands-off approach in providing support through the latest wave of the COVID
pandemic.

Shadow
Treasurer Shane Broad said the government had failed to listen or provide adequate
support with its bungled COVID business package despite having months to
prepare the state for the border reopening.

“The
Gutwein Government knows Tasmanian businesses and workers are doing it tough
but they’ve established a grants scheme which asks business to jump through
hoops and makes their job even tougher,” Dr Broad said.

“The
government’s grants are a slap in the face to many.

“Over
the past weeks, Labor has listened to feedback across the state and we are
calling on the government to implement further support that will actually make
an impact on businesses and support workers.

“Businesses
throughout Tasmania have reported that the process to apply for COVID support
is too onerous and overly complicated and it must be simplified to reduce the red
tape and take the burden away from those businesses who are desperately in need
of help.

“The
Government must also provide further support to protect jobs in businesses
doing it tough by introducing payroll support similar to that available in NSW.
This could provide the equivalent of 20 per cent of the businesses payroll for
February, up to a maximum of $5,000 a week.

“If
we don’t support local businesses and jobs now, they might not be here in a few
month’s time.”

Shadow Minister for Small Business
Janie Finlay said the
Premier needed to listen to business operators and understand the support they
needed to ensure their operations continued and supported workers and their
livelihoods.

“Businesses
need support to trade out of this challenging time,” Ms Finlay said.

“The
government’s grants to date have not adequately recognised that operators take
a personal responsibility to ensure workers are supported mentally and
financially.

“In
every conversation we have had with business operators we have heard about the
cash flow issues they are experiencing.”

Ms
Finlay said the government needs to additionally urgently act to provide relief
to eligible businesses through rebates on fixed charges including:

• Network charges on the next power bill
• TasWater fixed charges on the next bill and
• Land Tax relief for commercial premises – provided it is passed on to tenants

“Labor also calls on the government to extend the eligibility of the payroll tax waiver for the current quarter so businesses impacted by the December 15 border reopening can qualify,” Ms Finlay said.