The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has welcomed the Productivity Commission’s newly announced reform focus areas, saying they have the potential to tackle longstanding challenges for Australian businesses.
According to ACCI, the Commission’s reform agenda is a positive step toward addressing productivity stagnation, with implications for business competitiveness, workforce capability, and cost efficiency.
ACCI CEO Andrew McKellar said the focus on corporate tax reform and reducing regulatory burdens closely aligns with ACCI’s policy goals.
“Both reforms are essential to unlocking business investment and boosting dynamism across the economy. They are also central pillars of our Agenda for Business document, which outlines five key priorities to revitalise Australia’s economic performance,” said McKellar.
For retailers, tax reform could support reinvestment in store expansion, supply chain upgrades, and job creation, especially as operators face margin pressures from inflation and shifting consumer demand.
Easing regulatory complexity could also help retailers operate more efficiently, freeing up time and resources to focus on innovation and customer experience.
McKellar also expressed support for broader reforms across education, workforce flexibility, digital transformation, and clean energy.
“We need to ensure Australians have the right skills for the future, and that businesses can attract and retain talent in a more agile and responsive labour market,” McKellar added.
Chair of the Productivity Commission, Danielle Wood, said productivity growth is now at its weakest point in six decades, and bold reforms are needed to reverse the trend.
“Boosting productivity is the only sustainable way to improve Australians’ living standards, but productivity growth has stagnated in the past decade. It’s now at its lowest ebb in 60 years,” Wood said.
“The reform areas we’re exploring are not recommendations. They are the starting point for the targeted research and consultation we are doing to ensure our recommendations are robust and implementable.”
The current focus areas were shaped by input from more than 500 public submissions to the Commission’s ‘Australia’s Productivity Pitch.’ Insights from business owners, educators, and workers helped guide the priorities.
“We are grateful for the many ideas we received through the Productivity Pitch. We heard from everyone from teachers to business owners and healthcare workers – all with their own suggestions for helping Australia work smarter to boost productivity,” said Wood.
“Now that we’ve used that input to refine our focus, we want to see the enthusiasm and engagement continue. Productivity powers our living standards and quality of life and everyone has a stake in seeing it grow.”