"Industry is pleased that the central tenet of today's budget, as we move out of COVID with massive debt, is to maintain the State's competitive cost of doing business! In that sense, no new taxes or increases in taxes is a gesture appreciated by industry in the last budget to be handed down by Treasurer Rob Lucas," Stephen Myatt, the SA Branch Head of the employer association Ai Group said today.
"Ai Group welcomes the previously announced payroll tax exemption for apprentices and trainees, particularly as we have no skilled migration and need to train our own," he said.
Mr Myatt added: "The new Jobs and Economic Growth Fund worth $200m, with its particular focus towards the Federal Government's Modern Manufacturing Fund is very helpful.
"The program of $2.6m to help SMEs with digital and cyber capabilities is most needed, but also represents a lost opportunity in our view because large businesses also need that assistance," he said.
