Australian DFAT - Media Release - NEW AUSTRADE CLIENT SERVICE STRATEGY TO ENCOURAGE MORE AUSTRALIANS TO EXPORT

MT88

21 June 1995

NEW AUSTRADE CLIENT SERVICE STRATEGY TO ENCOURAGE MORE AUSTRALIANS TO EXPORT - McMULLAN

A new Austrade Client Service policy - one initiative of the Winning Markets statement released today by the Prime Minister - will concentrate on encouraging more Australians, especially small and medium size companies, to get into exporting and win new business for Australia, the Minister for Trade, Senator Bob McMullan, said today.

"Austrade's new Client Service policy will address areas of activity not catered for by commercial export facilitators," Senator McMullan said.

"And these areas relate mainly to the export requirements of new and potential exporters."

Senator McMullan said the new strategy encompasses:

more free services for new and potential exporters
realistic charges on services for established exporters whose needs are more complex
and subsidies, according to the importance of a service, to emerging exporters or to the development of particular export industries.

"Austrade has been very careful in developing this new strategy to ensure that exporters are clear about what services are provided free, which ones involve costs, why and what they are charged for, and what they deliver," Senator McMullan said.

Senator McMullan said the policy involves the adoption of a uniform pricing system for Austrade services.

"This means that wherever Austrade operates, it now offers easily recognisable and familiar services at prices that are known and affordable - and in many cases, generously subsidised," Senator McMullan said.

"Subsidies can be up to 100 per cent on many services for exporters just getting started, and generously subsidised for companies committed to entering an export market."

Austrade offers clients seeking to enter and succeed in new markets the services of its world-wide network of offices.

Austrade's services are now divided into three groups:

those for enterprises new to exporting;
those for enterprises engaged in selecting, researching and entering export markets;
and those for mature exporters that are looking to expand their offshore markets.

"The subsidy attached to a service will depend on the individual firm and into which of the three groups it fits," Senator McMullan said.

"In this way, the Government's assistance to exporters can be delivered consistently across the whole range of exporting firms.

"Where a service incurs a charge, the cost of the service will reflect its real worth to exporters.

"In determining charges, a range of factors was considered - such as the time taken to deliver the service, what exporters see as its value, and the need for Austrade to concentrate on services that are not adequately delivered by commercial agencies.

"There is flexibility in the pricing structure.

"Under the new arrangements, mature exporters are able to engage Austrade on a retainer basis to represent their interests in a particular overseas market, or in pursuit of a particular project.

"In other cases, Austrade can represent an Australian exporter on the basis of fees paid when export sales are secured," Senator McMullan said.

Further information

Senator McMullan's office: John Flannery (06) 277 7420, 018 482 887

Austrade: Joe Parkes, (02) 390 2118