Growing concern about the survival of many small businesses in the region has prompted the Illawarra Business Chamber to call for more to be done to support them.
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The chamber said the stimulatory measures announced by both the State and Federal Governments to keep Australians in jobs through the COVID-19 pandemic are welcome.
But enterprises with between one and 15 employees are already under immense financial strain.
Chamber executive director Adam Zarth said in the Illawarra there are many micro and smaller businesses that fall below the payroll tax threshold.
He said they also tend to operate in sectors that will be heavily exposed to a decline in revenue due to social distancing and the banning of large events.
Mr Zarth said every financial lever possible needed to be pulled to keep the doors of small businesses open.
He said banks allowing small business owners to defer loan repayments by six months was a major relief and commercial landlords, particularly operators of large shopping centres, must consider rent relief to help keep their tenants in business.
Mr Zarth said larger businesses must put hardship provisions in place for debtors to keep their business customers operating.
The chamber is also calling on councils to come forward with immediate rate relief for commercial landlords to ensure all contractors are rapidly paid and to bring forward all capital expenditure to keep the construction sector moving.
Mr Zarth said most importantly "we the community need to support our businesses if we want to see them survive. They are working particularly hard right now to adjust their business models to the emerging environment, and we need to reward them with our custom".
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