Small businesses will be invited to comment on draft legislation in coming weeks to create the new role of Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.
First announced in the May Budget, the Ombudsman role is set to begin on July 1, 2015 and will replace the position of Small Business Commissioner.
Small Business Minister Bruce Billson said the role would reflect the extra powers and responsibilities of the expanded office.
He said the government is committed to establishing an ‘independent’ role with real power and that the new regulatory body would act as a “concierge for dispute resolution.”
“If a small business has an issue or complaint, we want that business to have its issue considered by the right agency and not fall through the cracks,” Billson said.
“The government wants to help businesses help themselves, and the Ombudsman will provide straightforward, honest advice that will help businesses understand disputes and how they can be avoided in the future.”
Billson said the Ombudsman will also seamlessly link with the Single Business Service to help small businesses find out about other government services and programs, including access to general business advice.
He said the position provides a new way for small business to interact with the Commonwealth and access assistance.
“It can be frustrating for smaller businesses to make sense of the often complex information and broad array of services on offer,” he said.
The watchdog will also act as an advocate for small businesses contributing to the development of small business-friendly laws and regulations.
“The Ombudsman is a powerful new asset for small business,” Billson said.
The government has just completed a period of consultation including the release of a discussion paper to select a suitable model to make the transition from Commissioner to Ombudsman.
