37 per cent of SMEs are dissatisfied with the level of Government support they are receiving, according to findings revealed in the September 2014 MYOB Business Monitor Report.
The dissatisfaction levels have risen 5 per cent from the 32 per cent reported in the February report.
“While still pretty good by historical standards, it’s a shame to see support for the Government slipping away after they made good gains in reaching the small business community in their first year,” MYOB CEO Tim Reed says.
“Of particular concern is the support that small businesses have for policies the government is removing, such as the $6,500 instant asset write off and accelerated depreciation of motor vehicles.”
The survey of over 1000 SMEs, conducted by Colmar Brunton, found that 61 per cent of business operators feel the Federal Government does not understand the issues affecting them. 33 per cent expressed satisfaction.
The Liberal Government came through as the most trusted political party (37 per cent), followed by Labor (17 per cent), National (5 per cent) and the Greens (4 per cent). The findings pointed to a high level of distrust, with 31 per cent of business operators stating that they did not trust any party to manage the economy.
The report highlighted which policies or initiatives business operators would most vote for. The policies of high interest include those that simplify the GST/BAS reporting process, with 60 per cent for and 9 per cent against; increase Federal Government funding for skills, with 56 per cent for and 7 per cent against; and provide bonus schemes for businesses employing people over the age of 50, with 55 per cent for and 10 per cent against.
“What we are seeing here again is that businesses really want some relief from red tape, incentives to invest and improved infrastructure,” says Tim Reed. “The government is focussed in these areas but small business want to see more traction.”
