March 11, 2010Australian business owners are ignoring the government’s Emissions Trading Scheme accusing it of not supplying them with sufficient explanation about its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), according to a leading accounting firm.
In a national survey released today almost 90 percent (87.7 percent) of business owners said they had not introduced any changes in anticipation of CPRS.
Almost 94 percent also said they had not received sufficient information from the government about CPRS.
The survey of 5,000 companies was sponsored by leading international accounting firm, MGI, which specialises in the family and privately owned business sector.
Today’s research results are part of the MGI Australian Family and Private Business Survey, which was undertaken by RMIT University.
MGI Australasia CPRS Expert and MGI Adelaide Director, Des Caulfield, says it will be hard for the Government to sell the benefits of its proposed policy while SMEs do not have access to the information they need about CPRS.
He says more information would also help the more than half of Australian business owners who fear they will incur increased costs as part of the Federal government’s CPRS.
“They felt the price jumps will be in energy (80 percent), transport (72 percent) and raw materials (49 percent).”
Business owners say their accountants (27 percent) were most likely to assist them prepare for the introduction of CPRS.
However, nearly half (43.1 percent) said they were not looking for outside help.
“Or more likely hadn’t even thought about it,” Caulfield adds.
