Encourages sales growth, employment opportunities.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has commended the NSW Government for delivering a Budget that focuses on infrastructure, skills, and tax cuts for business, while running $3.4 billion in 2015-16, rising to $3.7 billion in 2016-17, and forecasts surpluses over the next four years averaging $2 billion each year.
ARA executive director, Russell Zimmerman, said the NSW State Budget builds on economic strength for the state and should continue strong retail sales growth at the same time as supporting retail businesses, particularly in employing people.
“The 2016-17 Budget focuses on delivering infrastructure that communities in NSW need, with long term holes in infrastructure slowly being fixed for the first time in decades,” Zimmerman said.
“The $100 million Smart, Skilled, and Hired is a package of initiatives to build skills and actively match those most in need of a job, such as young unemployed people, with the sectors that are growing and in need of workers.
“The previously promised removal of the taxes on business transactions is an important step for businesses making decisions to improve their operations, so the economic costs of these taxes are particularly high,” he added.