MEDIA RELEASE THE AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR TRADE TIM FISCHER

TOURISM EXPORT GRANTS BOOST CONFIRMED

27 March, 1997

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The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Tim Fischer, said today he was delighted that tourism industry access to full rate of Export Market Development Grants had been confirmed this week by the Senate.

"Agreement to a package of EMDG Act amendments in the Senate completes the process of revamping and re-focusing the EMDG scheme to be of greater value to small businesses," Mr Fischer said.

"It also furfils an important election commitment in the trade portfolio.

"I am particularly pleased with the result for the tourism industry. Small tourist operators have played an essential part in expanding what was once a domestically-focused tourist industry into a major export earner.

"Yet because these operators had access to EMDG grants only at half-rate, they were being disadvantaged in comparison with other small businesses moving into export."

Mr Fischer said he had consulted widely through Austrade with industry during the process of formulating changes to the EMDG scheme and, with Parliamentary Secretary Senator David Browrnhill, had been committed to full consultation in the Senate over the proposed amendments.

As a result of this process, businesses formed as trusts, and claims for airfares from two years to all claim years, had been retained within the scheme.