COVID-19 Resources: Tasmania Government
The Tasmanian Government recently announced a $420 million support package to provide additional support to the public sector and targeted assistance to businesses and the workforce to keep Tasmanians in jobs. The support package includes:
- Small to medium businesses with an annual payroll of up to $5 million in Australian wages will be able to apply, based on the immediate impact of the virus on their businesses, to have their payroll tax payments waived for the three months from 31 March to June 2020.
- To encourage businesses to employ young people, a youth employment payroll tax rebate scheme will be introduced for young people from 1 April 2020.
- $50 million in interest free loans over 3 years will be made available to encourage local governments to invest and employ more Tasmanians to upgrade, renovate and to do necessary maintenance to improve our tourism assets so that when the visitors come back we are ready.
- Immediately bringing forward of $50 million for the maintenance of public buildings over the next 12 months.
- $2.1 million for one-off $5,000 grants for businesses that hire an apprentice or trainee, complementing the Federal Government’s apprenticeship package.
- Unless otherwise required by contractual arrangements, the normal terms of trade for payments by government agencies will be reduced from 30 days to 14 days.
- $80,000 assistance for Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to provide advice to businesses on the implications of these workplace issues.
- Removal of the efficiency dividend on State Government agencies over the forward estimates.