26 October 2009

Standard Business Reporting Gains International Momentum

Note

Joint Media Release with The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP
Minister for Finance and Deregulation

The new business to government reporting channel Standard Business Reporting (SBR) continues to gain international interest, with Singapore hosting a forum on 26 and 27 October.

The Forum will share lessons on reducing the business to government reporting burden – an international issue. It was established in 2007, is jointly chaired by Paul Madden, SBR Australia Program Director, and Harm Jan van Burg, Director of the SBR program in the Netherlands.

The Forum meeting in Singapore will explore the latest developments in SBR and provide an opportunity for countries to share knowledge. The participants are expected to include representatives from Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.

Australia and the Netherlands are both world leaders in the SBR technical design and collaboration. Software developers and business are working closely with the SBR Program in the lead up to the launch of the SBR reporting channel from July 2010.

SBR makes reporting to government simpler and more effective. Savings for businesses in Australia are expected to be around $800 million once SBR is fully implemented.

The Forum will share knowledge about SBR and includes sessions on the range of technical and governance issues – some country specific and some common to all countries.

The Australian Treasury's SBR program is part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reform agenda to reduce the regulatory reporting.

Led by Treasury, the SBR program has been co-designed by Australian, state and territory government agencies in partnership with software developers, business and business intermediaries.

New Zealand is also progressing with SBR, and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Australia in August to assure the coordination between the two countries.

More information on SBR is available on www.sbr.gov.au.

26 October 2009