Australian ICT small businesses seeking access to Federal Government contracts continue to be ignored, despite the Howard Government notionally supporting a recommendation from a Senate Committee to remove barriers that hamper their participation.
Almost two years after it was handed down, the Coalition today finally tabled its response to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee Report into the Government’s information technology outsourcing initiative.
Unfortunately, it is a case of “say one thing, do another” from the Coalition, whose responses were far removed from reality.
In particular, Recommendation 21 of the Report urged the Government to, “act immediately to remove barriers, such as onerous requirements including financial guarantees, that hamper the participation of SMEs [Small to Medium Enterprises] in the Initiative.”
In fact, the Coalition’s commitment to this recommendation is virtually non-existent. The Industry-Government Working Group into Barriers to SMEs has been left spinning its wheels, with none of its suggestions acted on by the Government. Its work was not even included in the Minister’s Framework for the Future Report.
Meanwhile, Australian ICT small businesses remain locked out of most Government ICT outsourcing contracts.
Local IT small businesses remain the key to Australia maintaining and building its ICT capability, thereby providing high-wage, high-skill jobs.
The Senate Committee and the local ICT industry have been waiting almost two years for this response, and all they have received is a shallow exercise in box-ticking, whilst the real issues have been left unaddressed.
Media contact: Adina Cirson – (02) 6277 3334 or the Electorate Office – 0418 488 295.
