The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) have released the results of their annual National Red Tape Survey and have found that businesses continued to feel overwhelmed by red tape and regulation.
Nearly half of the 700+ respondent’s said that regulation was preventing them from making changes to grow their business.
Kate Carnell AO, CEO of the ACCI, said that the results show there is much scope for national, state/territory and local governments to streamline, simplify or scrap regulations.
“Every hour that an entrepreneur spends filling in paperwork is an hour they are not growing their business, satisfying their customers and creating job opportunities,” Kate said.
The survey also found that respondents found Workplace Health and Safety (WHS), as well as workers compensation, to be the most complex areas of regulation.
Adam McDean, Managing Director of Hunter-based BusinessBasics said the survey highlighted the difficulty that smaller businesses have in ensuring they meet regulations.
“All businesses we speak with want to make sure they keep their employees and stakeholders safe, but the regulations can be so multifaceted that they struggle to ensure they are meeting the requirements,” Adam said.
“The survey also highlighted the fact that external consultants is the most useful way to gain specific and individualised advice about their needs.”
“We are able to provide the in-depth knowledge of the regulation for our clients, providing them with the information they need to ensure they can wade through the red tape required for their specific sector or industry.”
The results of the ACCI 2015 National Red Tape Survey are available here.