经过长达18个多月的广泛研究和深入咨询，公共会计师协会（IPA）与IPA迪肯中小企业研究中心合作发布了第二版澳大利亚小企业白皮书。

IPA首席执行官Andrew Conway教授说：“在2015年推出的第一版白皮书中，许多政策性建议都已经被采纳。然而，我们意识到经济状况仍然取决于小企业的生产力、增长速度和繁荣程度，因此这项工作必须持续进行。”

“世界不会停滞不前，影响小企业的问题也在不断变化。技术进步的影响和速度只是其中的一个例子，仍有其他领域存在着问题，例如营造可靠、合理的财政环境。

在第二版澳大利亚小企业白皮书中，我们整合了大量相关研究成果、从业者见解，行业观点以及直接引入了全国数百家小企业的征询建议。有些内容在2015年时并没有普遍涉及，但现在它们却成了关键话题，包括网络安全和心理健康，此次我们会将这些新领域引入到考虑范围内。

“小企业作为大幅提高澳大利亚经济生产力环节中最关键的一部分，若是得以相应支持，它们会是产能激增最快的群体。”

“我们的白皮书旨在考虑和讨论关于小企业的效率、生产力和成长空间的有效实际政策。”

Conway教授表示，“简而言之，如果我们要推动经济繁荣，保持或提高我们目前享有的生活水平，我们必须为支持小企业作出更多的工作。我们的目的是将澳大利亚变成全球中开办和经营小企业的最优秀孕育之地。”

迪肯商学院会计学教授兼IPA-Deakin中小企业研究中心联合董事George Tanewski表示，“与大公司（36％）相比，小企业的生产率提高速度较慢（28％），这表明澳大利亚企业需要专注于如何高效调动运作机制，而不是一味地寻求扩张。”

“我们的研究还表明，小企业在提高国家生产力方面发挥着举足轻重的作用。不仅如此，企业间围绕知识、产品、流程和技术等信息的交流传播会更加促进和改善国家生活水平。”


AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS WHITE PAPER RELEASED

After more than 18 months of extensive research and consultation, the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) in partnership with the IPA Deakin SME Research Centre has released the second edition of the Australian Small Business White Paper.

“Numerous policy recommendations have been adopted from the first edition which was launched in 2015. However, we recognise that the state of our economy is reliant on the productivity, growth and prosperity of the small business sector so this work must be ongoing,” said IPA chief executive officer, Professor Andrew Conway.

“The world does not stand still and issues impacting small business constantly change; the impact and speed of technological advancements is just one example. However, there are some areas that still remain as ongoing issues such as access to responsible and affordable finance.

“In this second edition, we are consolidating substantial research, practitioner insights, industry views and direct input from consultations with hundreds of small businesses across the country. We are also introducing new areas of consideration not prevalent when we conducted our research in 2015 but are now of key concern. These include cybersecurity and mental health.

“This dire need to dramatically increase productivity needs to start with the sector most critical to the Australian economy and the sector that is most capable of achieving growth if appropriately supported; the small business sector.

“Our White Paper has been produced to consider and debate real policy options for small business efficiency, productivity and growth.

“Simply put, if we are to drive economic prosperity and retain or improve the level of living standards that we currently enjoy, we must do a lot more in support of small business. Our intention is to turn Australia into the best place in the world to start and run a small business,” said Prof Conway.

Deakin Business School’s professor of accounting and co-director of the IPA-Deakin SME Research Centre, George Tanewski, said that small businesses report slower rates of productivity improvements (28 per cent) compared to large firms (36 per cent), suggesting that typical Australian businesses need to focus on being smarter at their current levels of operation rather than seeking to expand.

“Our research also indicates that small business can play an important role in lifting national productivity growth and, more importantly, national living standards through a variety of ways, including improved diffusion of knowledge, products, processes and technologies across businesses,” said Prof Tanewski.