BizLink can now help Australian Businesses with more information on Customs and on superannuation. Two new modules on these topics were released in March 1998. If you subscribe to BizLink, you don’t have to ring, you don’t have to visit, the information you need is on your computer.
The inclusion of the modules on superannuation and Customs makes BizLink even better value for subscribers. Now more than ever, BizLink provides a quick and easy way for business to access information on important issues, programs and services.
BizLink is a key element of the Government’s Business Information Service (BIS) initiative designed to improve access to relevant information and to free up time to get on with the job.
Point and click super information
Superannuation is a major issue for businesses, both large and small. Employers need to know who to pay super for, when and where to pay it, and how much. They also need to know whether the surcharge affects their employees and what to do about super when someone leaves.
The new BizLink module, Point and Click Superannuation for Employers, guides employers through the superannuation system using simple mouse clicks. The module was developed in conjunction with the Australian Taxation Office. It has been tested with employers and has an improved navigation system to make it as user-friendly as possible.
The module lists employer obligations that arise at the various stages of employing a member of staff, hiring a new person, looking after existing staff and knowing what to do when someone leaves.
Point and Click Superannuation for Employers includes the latest information on what employers must offer staff in terms of the choice of super funds. This information will be updated as new developments occur. It also has a handy glossary which explains superannuation terms.
What business needs to know about Customs
The Australian Customs Service does more than enforce border controls at international airports and ports. It oversees import and export requirements and restrictions, collects duty, sales tax and excise, and handles matters relating to quarantine, immigration and health at the border. Customs also has a major role in assisting trade in and out of Australia and delivering industry support measures to importers, exporters, manufacturers and producers.
A survey of current and potential BizLink subscribers indicated that small businesses want information about Customs. The Customs module in BizLink is a joint effort between the Federal Government’s Business Information Service and the Customs Commercial Advisory Service, a section of the Australian Customs Service.
The module provides Australian business, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises, with information about Customs activities, procedures and industry assistance measures.
The new Customs module in BizLink is designed to be easily navigated using a layered approach. It initially asks users whether they import, export, manufacture goods, travel overseas or use diesel fuel. Depending on the answer, BizLink informs users how the Australian Customs Service may help their business.
Peter Connell of the Customs Commercial Advisory Service hopes that increasing awareness of Customs requirements and operations will help BizLink users better plan their business dealings with the Australian Customs Service.
For more information on BizLink call the AusIndustry Hotline on 13 28 46 or visit www.ausindustry.gov.au
