THE Tax and Revenue Committee today tabled its first report for its inquiry into the 2014 Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Annual Report.

The report outlines a range of topics including: the ATO’s relationship with taxpayers; the administration of the ATO; and compliance strategies. The report commends the ATO for its progress establishing its strategic direction and the steps it has taken, and continues to take, to ‘reinvent’ the client and staff experience to change the culture of the ATO.

Committee Chair, Bert van Manen MP, said that the ATO has made good progress towards achieving its goal of being valuable, relevant and trusted by the Australian people.

“I am particularly impressed with the ATO’s clear strategic direction and its commitment to meaningful performance indicators. A clear strategic direction and robust performance measurement and reporting are key elements of an efficient and transparent tax administration,” he said.

The committee commended the incorporation of modern technology into the ATO’s systems in its efforts to improve both the accuracy of tax information and the taxpayer experience. For example, the ATO is introducing Single Touch Payroll, Standard Business Reporting and no-touch tax returns. 

The Chair said that the taxation system relies on the Australian people’s trust that the system is fair and equitable.

“Non-compliance, such as demonstrated by those operating within the cash economy, robs the Australian people of much needed revenue. It also disadvantages honest and hard-working Australians who are doing the right thing. More must be done to tackle non-compliance,” Mr van Manen said.

The report listed a number of key areas that the committee will discuss at its next hearing for its second report into the 2014 ATO Annual report in late 2015.

The report can be found on the committee website: http://www.aph.gov.au/taxrev.

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GOVERNMENT agencies need to have the power to disrupt illegal online services, according to the latest report by the House of Representatives Communications Committee.

The Committee examined the use of s.313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 by government agencies in the disruption of illegal online services, including the widely-reported inadvertent blocking of 250,000 websites by ASIC in 2013.  The report recommends the adoption of guidelines for use by government agencies, which will include:

• the development of agency-specific internal policies consistent with the guidelines;
• clearly defined authorisations for website disruption at a senior level;
• defining activities subject to disruption;
• industry and stakeholder consultation;
• use of stop pages to identify the requesting agency, reason for disruption, agency contact, and avenue for review;
• public announcements, where appropriate;
• review and appeal processes; and
• reporting arrangements.

The Committee has recommended that all agencies using s.313 have the necessary level of technical expertise to carry out such activity, or procedures for drawing on the expertise of other agencies.

Committee Chairman Jane Prentice MP said one of the significant challenges faced by all governments is the need to balance the safety of the community with the rights of the individual.

“The internet has brought unprecedented opportunities—undoubtedly for the better.  But there are some in our community who would seek to use it for corrupt purposes,” Mrs Prentice said.

“How we deal with these threats is a question of balance. To do nothing is an abdication of duty; to go too far is to risk trampling on the rights and freedoms we seek to protect.

“The Committee believes it has struck the right balance.”

A copy of the report can be obtained from the committee’s website or from the secretariat on (02) 6277 2352.

Further information: contact the Inquiry Secretary (02) 6277 2352, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Committee’s webpage.

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The House Economics Committee has today tabled its second report on the Review of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Annual Report 2014. 

The Chair of the committee, Mr John Alexander OAM MP, said that although it was pleasing to learn from APRA that the Australian financial sector is showing overall stability, there is evidence of emerging risks in the housing market which must be carefully monitored.

"An increased scrutiny of mortgage portfolios is an appropriate response to this issue and we will be requesting updates from APRA in this regard at future hearings," Mr Alexander said.

In the superannuation industry, the management of conflicts of interest needs improvement and new and more detailed disclosure requirements are not yet fully implemented. APRA has given undertakings that it is continuing to oversee and promote better governance in this sector.

The prudential responsibilities of the Private Health Insurance Administration Council will be transferring to APRA in July of this year.  The committee is monitoring this transition with interest.

The outcomes of the recent Financial System Inquiry (FSI) and the current work of the Basel Committee may well impact future capital requirements for Australian banks. The committee will continue to discuss this with APRA at future hearings.

The next APRA hearing will be held on 23 October 2015 in Canberra.

The report is available on the committee’s website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/economics. 

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SHANGHAI - The 2015 CES Asia wrapped as a sold-out show today exceeding all expectations in its first year and setting a new standard for world-class trade events in China.

More than 200 exhibitors from 16 countries spanned more than 20,000 gross square metres on a show floor that was previously expanded due to demand. During its three day run May 25-27, CES Asia welcomed more than 20,000 attendees, including more than 1,200 members of the media.

Show organizers expect to release officially audited numbers within six weeks.

Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and co-produced by INTEX, the 2015 CES Asia drew global businesses to showcase the latest innovations and technologies entering the Asian marketplace. Click here to see video.

“CES Asia was by every measure a world-class launch, setting the bar for high-quality events in the region in terms of industry attendance, production value, conference programming, product introductions and the ability to bring together some of the brightest minds in the industry,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “Exhibitors at this inaugural event were courageous to trust us, frankly, but it’s those brave, curated companies that have helped us set a new international standard for show launches.”

Exhibitors have taken note of the incredible energy on the show floor and want more. Exhibitor space selection for 2016 started yesterday and already the equivalent of 85 percent of this year’s show floor has been sold. CES Asia plans to expand into a third hall next year, which nearly doubles available show floor space.

“The opportunities that are being opened by CES Asia are going to resonate globally,” said James Luckett, president and founder, Myth Innovations Inc. “This has been a landmark event not only for China but an amazing opportunity for the rest of the world to witness the technical capabilities and markets in the region.”

CES Asia boasted a strong global presence with roughly 40 percent of the show floor represented by innovative companies headquartered outside of mainland China. Moreover, the products introduced here this week will fuel the ever-growing Asian marketplace and ultimately grow the global economy, creating new jobs and paving the way for future innovation.

“The rapid pace of globalization is driving a new wave of trans-national innovation and the inaugural CES Asia helps drive this trend by bringing together the best in innovation from China and around the globe,” said John Penney, chief strategy officer, Starz. “CES Asia represents the future of collaborative, transformative innovation that can help solve the world’s most challenging problems.”

Throughout the three-day event, the show floor was packed with exhibitors, as well as domestic and international buyers, resellers, distributors, media executives, content creators, manufacturers, engineers, product designers, CTOs, CIOs, investment managers and others involved in purchasing decisions as well as press from around the world.

“A distinct air of excitement permeated the area as fascinating new products were displayed,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president of the International CES and corporate business strategy. “The Asian market is vitally important to the worldwide consumer technology industry, and the success of CES Asia reinforces the strength of this incredible and fast-growing market.”

Major product launches sparked industry interest, including: Audi’s R8 e-tron, Q7 e-tron, Baidu Car Life and MMI; Cadillac’s OnStar 4G Lte; China Mobile’s IoT Private Network and OneNet Open Platform; Ford’s Sync 3; Mercedes-Benz’ F 015 Luxury in motion;Klipsch’s HS Wireless Home Theater System; Moley Robotics’ Smart Kitchen Robot; TomTom’s Runner Cardio and Golfer GPS Watches and Volkswagen’s Golf R Touch, Connected Golf and Intelligent Charge.

During Volkswagen’s press conference at CES Asia, Dr Heinz Jakob Newburgh, member of the board of management, Volkswagen said, “Volkswagen is presenting a bunch of its innovations including gesture control, intelligent charging, car-net and trained parking at the world’s greatest technology event.”

A dynamic conference program line-up of thought leaders from converging industries, as well as Keynote and Industry Mover addresses by top industry executives such as Audi’s Rupert Stadler, IBM’s D.C. Chien, Intel’s Kirk Skaugen and Twitter’s Shailesh Rao. By the first day, the conference program had sold out and keynote addresses by Audi and Intel each saw more than 1,000 attendees.

Day two’s line-up focused on the theme of Industry Movers and featured some of the world’s most influential brands.

Shailesh Rao, vice president of Asia Pacific, Latin America and emerging markets, Twitter, delivered an address Tuesday morning as part of the Industry Mover speaker series. He spoke about Twitter’s reach and depth of insights across the globe, presenting a case for why Twitter is a crucial platform for Chinese businesses looking to go international.

“The world today expects to be heard, the world today expects to be part of the conversation, and Twitter is a platform where the conversation can happen,” said Rao, adding that Chinese companies like Air China, Alibaba, Xiaomi and Haier have already seen the opportunity and joined the global conversation on Twitter.

Sun Weimin, vice chairman of Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd., delivered the afternoon CES Asia keynote address on Tuesday on the transformation of traditional retail enterprises toward Internet retail. He described how Suning has advanced over the past 10 years as a major retailer of consumer electronics thanks to its emphasis on service.

He also provided his forecast for the future of the industry. Sun said that in terms of products, “Smart home technology offers retailers a special opportunity to provide individualized service to customers, helping them identify the products they need and then integrating them into the home environment.”

Liang Jun, COO of smart terminals business group at Letv and president of Le Shi Zhi Xin, a subsidiary of Letv, concluded the Industry Mover speaker series with a discussion on how the Internet of Things (IoT), a key theme of the 2015 CES Asia, is impacting Letv's growing ecosystem of smart devices.

He explained how Internet companies are at the forefront of innovation because they are on the same side as consumers, and stressed the importance of collecting and analyzing customer feedback to optimize the user experience. “The Internet has changed me and I have to look at our products from a brand new viewpoint,” said Jun. “We need to be customer oriented – not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.”

The environmental footprint of the global CE industry was addressed Tuesday afternoon during panel sessions focused on 'Emerging Environmental, Energy Efficiency Trends and Impacts.'

Panelists from both the public and private sectors addressed the environmental impacts of consumer electronic devices. Given that products are becoming lighter and more energy-efficient, the panelists noted that more scrutiny will be placed on the environmental impacts within the supply chain.

The Best of CES Asia Awards, presented by ZOL, were also announced today. The Best of CES Asia Awards focused on breakthrough products and technologies that encourage innovation and evolution across 14 product categories. The products that took home the top prizes include:

• Best 3D Printing Product: Tinkerine Ditto Pro 3D Printer
• Best Audio Product: AKG N90Q
• Best Automotive Electronics Product: Cadillac OnStar
• Best Software/App: JIDE REMIX OS
• Best Mobile Device: Garmin VIRB XE Action Camera
• Best TV Product: Hisense XT910 ULED Curved TV
• Best Smart Home Product: JD We Lian Smart Home Platform
• BEST OF THE BEST: Moley Robotics Smart Kitchen Robot

More information about Best of CES Asia award winners and finalists is available online.

The 2015 Consumer Electronics CEO Summit was held in conjunction with CES Asia. Produced by CEA, the CEO Summit is an invitation-only event that brings together top level decision-makers from major consumer technology companies to meet and network in an exclusive, executive-only environment.

The CEO Summit hosted leaders of technology’s elite companies including Newegg, Canon U.S.A. Inc., desktop FAB Inc., ibiquity Digital Corporation, Sony Electronics and VOXX International Corporation. The event also featured a presentation on China by Hanscom Smith, Consul General of the United States of America Shanghai, China and an economic outlook delivered by CEA’s Chief Economist and Lead Technologist, Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D.

CES Asia was co-produced by CEA with INTEX Shanghai Co. Ltd., a prominent producer of international tradeshows in China. Special co-organizers for CES Asia included the Chinese Electronic Chamber of Commerce (CECC) and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Product (CCCME).

Building off the successful inaugural event, CES Asia will return to Shanghai, May 11-13, 2016. For the latest CES Asia news and information, visit CESAsia.com.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the technology trade association representing the $286 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at CE.org and InnovationMovement.com.

About CES Asia:

Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and co-produced by INTEX, the International CES Asia will serve as the premier event for the consumer technology industry, showcasing the full breadth and depth of the innovation value-chain in the Asian marketplace. Key global businesses will come to this new event to grow and reinforce their brand by showcasing the latest products and technologies to CE industry executives, foreign buyers, international media and a limited number of consumers from China. Attendees will have exclusive access to some of the largest brands from China and around the world, while celebrating the innovation that defines the CE industry.

About INTEX:

INTEX is the sub joint venture company of CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade) Shanghai, which started 1992. INTEX is a prominent producer of international tradeshows in China, owning venues in Shanghai, and managing various exhibition venues outside of Shanghai. INTEX Shanghai is the vice chairman of SCEIA, the Deputy Director of CAEC and the member of UFI. As the first venue management company that imported the first level pattern of management and experience in Shanghai, it is jointly invested by Shanghai Hongqiao E&T Development Zone United Development Co., Ltd., Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai and Istithmar P&O Estates FZE. INTEX was the first international exhibition center passing ISO9001 quality certification in China and has a stand-out reputation in the domestic exhibition industry.

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