By Wayne Kayler-Thomson
VECCI is calling for rationalisation of the State tax system, with one option being to allow payroll tax, land tax, WorkCover and motor vehicle registration payments to be made on one single payment form, reducing red tape for business.
Designed to help small businesses manage cash flow, other options put forward by VECCI in our Pre-Budget submission include establishing a single collection agency for all major business taxes and charges, as well as providing greater options around the payment frequency of taxes, premiums and charges that could be included on a single form.
While there was headway made under the previous Government, progress in the battle against red tape must be accelerated.
The mountain of red tape businesses have to wade through costs them time and money and this impacts on business growth and jobs. We hope the Government will give a continued commitment to reducing red tape, so businesses can continue to grow, invest and employ.
No matter how beneficial and necessary regulation appears to be, red tape imposes a real and increasing cost on business and acts as a disincentive to invest.
In order to reduce the red tape burden on business, VECCI is also calling for the State Government to:
- Ensure SMEs realise at least two-thirds of the benefits of the Government’s annual red tape reduction program
- Establish within the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission an informal high-level ‘SME Expert Reference Group’ to advise the Commission on more efficient regulation
- Identify an SME priority list – ‘Top 10 SME Red Tape Reduction Targets’ – of State specific legislation that might benefit from simplification or repeal
- Reduce the number of regulators across the State
- Proactively work with the Federal, State and Territory Governments to widen COAG’s Cross Jurisdictional Regulation Reform Agenda and identify new business ‘hot spots’ for regulatory reform.
VECCI also calls on the State Government to undertake thorough and regular consultation with business and industry to ensure red tape reform remains relevant and effective.
While fundamental regulation reform needs coordination between all three levels of Government, the Victorian Government can take a lead role in implementing new strategies to cut red tape for business.
VECCI looks forward to the State Government articulating a plan for its program of regulation reform.
[...] previously proposed many options for cutting red tape, including a single payment form for state taxes, a priority list of SME red tape reduction [...]