PEAK retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association’s (ARA) announces the $6 million Streetlife program is available to trader associations and Council-owned retail precincts, along with municipal councils, who can now directly apply for grants of up to $20,000 on an 80:20 matched basis.
VODAFONE has announced the expansion of its popular $5 per day international roaming plans to include six countries across Asia: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.
Vodafone’s international roaming offer now covers 46 countries, including the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom and most Europe nations.
Australians made 2.4 million trips to Asia in 2013, with short getaways Thailand and Bali proving popular. China is Australia’s number-one trading partner, with Japan second.
Vodafone Chief Marketing Officer Kim Clarke said “Asia is a hugely popular destination for Australians taking a holiday, with Bali and Thailand among the top spots for Australians taking short overseas trips.
”We want to give our customers the experience of using their smartphones in Asia just as they would when they’re at home in Australia.
“Many of our customers who travel regularly to Asia for business, especially those visiting China and Japan. In a constantly switched-on world you simply can’t afford to miss those important business calls or emails and it shouldn’t cost the earth.”
Ms Clarke said international travellers often tried to avoid roaming charges by purchasing SIM cards or using expensive hotel Wi-Fi services, choices that were inconvenient and impractical.
“Customers need to be able to access everything they would normally use on their smartphones like contacts, their email and apps. With Vodafone Red, our customers can use their phone just as they would from home for only $5 extra per day. We are proud to continue to lead the change in transforming the roaming experience for Australian consumers and businesses.”
VICTORIA’s peak employer body has welcomed plans to improve medical tourism opportunities in Victoria through Melbourne’s new Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
PEAK retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the Abbott Government’s commitment to dedicate an entire sitting day to the repeal of redundant regulation on 26 March and calls for this initiative to be made a regular occurrence.
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said the ARA encourages all State and local Governments to follow suit of the US, where congress has regular repeal days, and review the burden of red tape as frequently as possible to enable retailers to get on with the job of doing business.
“Red tape is impeding Australian retailers. We hope the Abbott government uses this day to repeal redundant laws that impede retailers from doing business, not just removing clearly outdated laws, for example the law that exists in Victoria stating that only licensed electricians may change a light bulb*.
"We hope this repeal day will have a direct impact on retail businesses and see a significant reduction in unnecessary red tape.
“A law that is still enforced and impacts businesses requires them to tag and test all electrical products every 12 months, including mobile phone charges which produces low level 12 volts**.
“Unreasonable and outdated regulation imposes unnecessary costs on business that are inevitably passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Australian retailers have been conveying a consistent message to the Government that there needs to be an urgent and significant reduction in regulation to improve Australia’s productivity and competitiveness.
“Dedicating Parliamentary sitting days to repealing regulation is certainly a step in the right direction and highlights the Coalitions’ commitment of cutting $1 billion in red tape each year to benefit retailers,” 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
ends
*As cited in the Telegraph News, August 17, 2007, The worlds strangest laws. **AS/NZS 3760:2010.
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