(left to right): Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter, Small Business Minister Steve Kamper, Cass Gibbens is the Executive Director of Service for Business at Service NSW and Greg Wells is the CEO of Service NSW.

Business NSW has co-signed a Charter for Small Business with the NSW Government to cut red tape, improve procurement opportunities and ensure our state remains the best place to start and run business.

Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter has joined with Small Business Minister Steve Kamper to sign a first-of-its-kind agreement for Australia, aimed at ensuring the state government focuses on the needs of NSW’s 850,000 small business.

Mr Hunter said Business NSW – which represents almost 50,000 small-to-medium businesses across Australia’s most important state – will continue to work with the government to drive down the cost of doing business.

"Business NSW continues to welcome the Minister’s support for small business and positive engagement with SMEs on initiatives like procurement reform, the Service NSW Business Bureau and now the Charter for Small Business,” Mr Hunter said.

"We want government to not just listen but also respond to and address red-tape pain points. We believe the new Charter for Small Business will work towards addressing this issue."
 

(left to right): Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter & Small Business Minister Steve Kamper

“Our members often tell us that managing government permitting and form-filling is one of the most challenging tasks for their business.

“We want government to not just listen but also respond to and address red-tape pain points. We believe the new Charter for Small Business will work towards addressing this issue.”

Business NSW has been working closely with the NSW Government to make positive moves toward improving business conditions. Since coming to office in March 2023, state government initiatives have included:

• Planned changes to the Emergency Services Levy, which remains a massive impost on business insurance premiums;
• Keeping annual workers' compensation premium increases to an average of 8 per cent for the next three years; and
• Increasing the threshold for direct engagement with SMEs on government contracts from $150,000 to $250,000. Soon business will need to be insured only when a contract has been won, not beforehand.

“Insurance is the number one issue for SMEs, according to our members, and it is critical the NSW Government maintains a laser-like focus on keeping premium increases to an absolute minimum,” Mr Hunter said.

“When it comes to interacting with government services, the aim should be to reduce businesses’ need to access concierge services to navigate processes because the processes themselves are becoming more straightforward.

“The Business Bureau - which Business NSW supported when it was launched in October last year - can build on the best-in-class products from Service NSW, which did so much for NSW during the tough times of Covid.

“Business NSW will continue to work closely with NSW Government to ensure that the emerging Business Bureau provides real value to our members in reducing the admin of dealing with government, whilst continuing to argue for less levees and charges on small businesses.”

To view the Charter click here: www.nsw.gov.au/charter-for-small-business