Retailers welcome competition review panel to address serious competitive issues in the Australian economy

 

PEAK retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement today of the final terms of reference and the panel for its Competition Review and congratulates Small Business Minister Bruce Billson for driving this review.
 
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said the ARA is positive about the scope of the inquiry and will be active in the process to see serious competitive issues addressed within the retail sector which have hurt consumers and reduced competition in some areas.

“The ARA sees the short-termism of dominant sector players are working to the long term disadvantage of retailers, retail jobs and consumers.
 
“Retailers will be happy with the balance in the panel and the need for the panel to look at markets in the retail sector which lack real competition.

“The ARA has worked with many of the panel appointees in the past, whether in workplace relations roles such as with Ian Harper on the Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA) Merchant Forum, or in the case of Peter Anderson, as the head of Australia’s largest small to medium business representative body ACCI of which the ARA is a member.
 
“The ARA looks forward to working with appointees including Professor Ian Harper (Chair), Ms Su McCluskey, Mr Michael O’Bryan SC and Mr Peter Anderson.
 
“The Harper Review will be the first comprehensive review of competition laws and policy in more than 20 years and we look forward to this initiative getting underway,” Mr Zimmerman said. 

Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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