I welcome today’s release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Lending Finance publication, which showed that the seasonally adjusted value of total commercial finance commitments rose by 13.7 per cent in January 2015, increasing from around $38.5 billion to $43.8 billion.
This is good news for Australian business and small business in particular, as finance is very much the 'oxygen of enterprise' and access to affordable finance is fundamental to the success of small businesses. Thriving small businesses ensure a strong, stable economy and job creation.
The Government is also doing its part to improve access to finance and encourage the growth of small businesses by introducing a sustainable crowd sourced equity funding (CSEF) model. CSEF is an innovative type of online fundraising that allows investors to make small equity investments in a company.
Consultation with industry on a potential model has just concluded. The Government is considering industry’s feedback, and further consultation on exposure draft legislation will occur later in the year.