The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business (formerly the Department of Jobs and Small Business) has established a taskforce to look at reforming Australia’s franchising industry and to develop a framework to support franchisees and franchisors.
The taskforce will be made up of officers from the Treasury; the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business; and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet with representatives from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Department of the Environment and Energy, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and Department of Agriculture co‑opted as needed.
According to the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Michaelia Cash the taskforce will examine the recommendations of the Fairness in Franchising report, which was handed down by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.
Senator Cash said the taskforce would develop the Government’s response to the report by carefully considering changes to the regulation of franchising to make it fair and effective for both franchisors and franchisees, while avoiding unnecessary regulatory burden.
“There are around 80,000 franchisees in Australia — mainly small and family businesses employing more than 470,000 Australians,” Senator Cash said.
“A healthy franchising sector will have benefits for the broader Australian economy.”
She said the Joint Parliamentary Committee made 71 separate recommendations.
“They are complex and interrelated and raise a wide variety of issues that range across a number of Ministerial portfolios and legislation beyond the Franchising Code of Conduct,” the Minister said.
Further information including the taskforce’s terms of reference, can be accessed at this PS News link.
