Business matters

Retailer groups are backing the move by Treasurer Joe Hockey this month after he said he would work with the states to introduce legislation to charge GST on intangible services coming into Australia such as media services and online low-threshold goods under $1,000. Taxing intangible media and online services is being dubbed the ‘Netflix tax’.

If the review of Australia’s competition rules recommend that the overwhelming advantages already enjoyed by the two major supermarkets be expanded, then the review itself can be described as nothing less than a failure, according to the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS). AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said by opening the door for the major

A Master Grocers Australia/Liquor Retailers Australia national survey of attitudes to supermarket competition and market concentration in Australia found that a large majority of Australians – 72% – believe the grocery market is too dominated by Coles and Woolworths and that there is not healthy competition. The survey comes as the Minister for Small Business

In a deal backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Brazil’s 3G Capital, H.J. Heinz Company and Kraft Foods Group have signed a merger agreement. This would see the formation of The Kraft Heinz Company, which, according to a recent statement from the H.J. Heinz Company, would be the third largest food and beverage company

Australia’s manufacturers expect that general business conditions in the next six months will be better than the previous half-year, the latest Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Westpac Survey of Industrial Trends has found. The ACCCI-Westpac Survey results come as almost a quarter of Australian SMEs intend to give employees a pay rise in 2015, despite