Chris Bowen
News and interviews on Chris Bowen including trends, features, blogs and community conversations from an Australian business perspective.
FEDERAL BUDGET 2010: Boat building and film sector get special assistanceTuesday, 11 May 2010
It is easy to pick the two most leftfield business-related measures in this year's Federal Budget – a special change to GST laws to help Australia's recreational boat builders, and a boost to the film production sector. ...
Industry welcomes financial advice reforms, but Opposition claims changes will hit small business
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Accountants and financial planners have broadly welcomed the Government's decision to ban financial planners from receiving commissions on products they sell, despite claims from the Opposition that the changes could hurt small businesses in the planning industry. ...
Federal Government slammed over response to executive pay inquiry
Monday, 19 April 2010
Tax experts have criticised the Government's response to the Productivity Commission's report on executive pay, saying its rejection of a proposal that would defer taxation on employee shares, rights and options when executives leave a company is disappointing ...
Swan downplays surplus expectations ahead of May Federal Budget
Tuesday, 06 April 2010
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has played down expectations of returning the Federal Budget to surplus before 2012, saying the financial crisis has continued to impact Government revenue. ...
Retail sales fall 1.4% in February, New stock exchange gets initial approval: Economy Roundup
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Retail turnover decreased by a seasonally adjusted 1.4% in February to $19.8 billion, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ...
Companies face crackdown on unfair contract terms as consumer laws pass
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Companies will face tough penalties for the use of unfair terms in standard contracts, after the Senate passed what Federal Competition Minister Craig Emerson has described as the biggest change to consumer laws in 35 years. ...
DIY super experts back changes to borrowing rules
Friday, 12 March 2010
Two experts on self-manger super funds have supported changes to rules around the use of instalment warrants in DIY super funds, saying the Government's proposals will provide more certainty to the sector. ...
Why small business fears contractor chaos: Gottliebsen
Thursday, 04 March 2010
The big response to my revelation that Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry was endorsing a plan that would plunge large segments of the Australian small business community into chaos has added a new dimension to discovering whether there is a fundamental change ...
GDP grows by 0.9% in December quarter: Economy Roundup
Wednesday, 03 March 2010
The Australian economy continues to power along, with the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing the economy grew by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% during the December quarter. ...
Unemployment drops to 5.3% in January: Economy Roundup
Thursday, 11 February 2010
The Australian unemployment rate has posted an unexpected drop to 5.3% during January beating market expectations, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ...
Big penalties for sharemarket misconduct, BHP to sell stake in Indonesian coal project: Economy Roundup
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Financial Services Minister Chris Bowen has unveiled proposals to beef up the supervisory powers of the Australian Security and Investment Commission and increase penalties for individuals and companies found guilty of market misconduct. ...
Government reform of insolvency laws to offer greater protection to directors
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The Rudd Government has unveiled a plan to reform insolvency laws that will make it easier for beleaguered directors to try and rescue their companies without the threat of being sued for trading while insolvent. ...
Wealthy private companies may be forced to reveal financial results
Monday, 18 January 2010
The Rudd Government has quietly backed a recommendation from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission that could force some of Australia's wealthiest and secretive companies to reveal their financial results. ...
Productivity Commission backs down on “two strikes and you’re out” rules on executive pay
Monday, 04 January 2010
The Productivity Commission has backed down on its controversial recommendation that companies would automatically be forced to hold a spill of all board positions following two successive protest votes against a company's executive pay policies. ...
Accounting costs could soar under new accounting standards for SMEs
Monday, 07 December 2009
Accounting experts have warned that small- and medium-sized businesses could face increased costs and a much higher administrative burden under new accounting rules proposed by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. In a discussion paper released late ...
Financial planning commissions have to go, the question is how: Kohler
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Just because the report from the joint parliamentary committee on financial services did not explicitly recommend banning commissions, don't think that they don't have to go. ...
Parliamentary inquiry recommends tougher rules for financial planners, but no ban on commissions
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
A Federal Parliamentary inquiry into the financial planning sector has recommended that financial planners be subject to a new fiduciary duty to place their clients' needs ahead of their own, but has stopped short of advocating a ban on commissions paid to ...
Financial planning reforms heading in the right direction: Kohler
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
At first sight the Ripoll Committee's report looks disappointing, but with a second, closer look it gets better. ...
Caught in a Storm
Thursday, 05 November 2009
The founder of collapsed financial planning group Storm Financial, Emmanuel Cassimatis, finally took to the witness box yesterday to face public examination in the Federal Court in Brisbane. ...
The other end of town
Friday, 23 October 2009
As the nation heads for the races, the productivity commission pulls up the pokie straps and the central banks worry about the inflation dragon caused by the Chinese stimulus package, isn't it time to ask what needs to be done to stimulate job creation in small ...
