Business View Oceania | March 2020

7 8 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 From the office of the Prime Minister of Australia O n March 12, 2020, the Morrison Government announced a $17.6 billion economic plan to keep Australians in jobs, keep businesses in business and support households and the Australian economy as the world deals with the significant challenges posed by the spread of the coronavirus. Our targeted stimulus package is focused on keeping Australians in jobs and helping small and medium sized businesses to stay in business. The package has four parts: • Supporting business investment • Providing cash flow assistance to help small and medium sized business to stay in business and keep their employees in jobs • Targeted support for the most severely affected sectors, regions and communities • Household stimulus payments that will benefit the wider economy The measures are all temporary, targeted and proportionate to the challenge we face. Our actions will ensure we respond to the immediate challenges we face and help Australia bounce back stronger on the other side, without undermining the structural integrity of the Budget. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as part of the plan up to 6.5 million individuals and 3.5 million businesses would be directly supported by the package. “Just as we have acted decisively to protect the health of the Australian people, based on the best evidence and medical advice, our support package responds to the economic challenges presented by this pandemic in a timely, proportionate and targeted way,” the Prime Minister said. “Our plan will back Australian households with a stimulus payment to boost growth, bolster domestic confidence and consumption, reduce cash flow pressures for businesses and support new investments to lift productivity. Australia is not immune to the global coronavirus challenge but we have already taken steps to prepare for this looming international economic crisis. We’ve balanced the budget and managed our economy so we can now use this to protect the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of Australians. Our targeted stimulus package will focus on keeping ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE ANNOUNCED IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS OPENING L INES Australians in jobs and keeping businesses in business so we can bounce back strongly. The economy needs temporary help right now to bounce back better so the livelihoods of all Australians are protected.” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia is approaching the economic challenge from the Coronavirus from a position of strength with IMF and the OECD both forecasting Australia to grow faster than comparable countries including the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany and France. “Our plan keeps businesses operating, supports jobs and provides a stimulus to households,” the Treasurer said. “The Government has worked hard over the last six and a half years to return the budget to balance so we have the flexibility to respond to the serious economic challenges posed by the Coronavirus.” “Given Australia’s strong economic and fiscal position, the international credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s indicated that temporary stimulus would be “unlikely to strain Australia’s creditworthiness. In our response, we have been very careful not to repeat the mistakes of previous stimulus programs and not undermine the structural integrity of the budget. Today’s announcement will provide the support businesses need to stay in business and keep Australians in a job. By acting decisively this package will put Australia in the strongest possible position to deal with the economic challenges we face and to make sure our economy bounces back even stronger.” Our support package responds to the economic challenges presented by this pandemic in a timely, proportionate and targeted way